1.2.2010
In the presence of the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Croatia Jadranka Kosor, Minister of Science, Education and Sports Radovan Fuchs, member of Croatian Olympic Committee Antun Vrdoljak, President of the Management Board of T-HT Ivica Mudrinić and heads of the Croatian Olympic Committee, President Zlatko Mateša and Secretary General Josip Čop, the Croatian Olympic Committee presented to Croatian media, on 1 February, in Zagreb-based Training Center of T-HT (general sponsor of the Croatian Olympic Committee) almost all members of Croatian Olympic delegation for Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
According to the information available today, 18 athletes have been nominated to compete at Vancouver Olympics – nine in alpine skiing, two in cross country skiing, two in biathlon and five in four-man bobsleigh. There is still a possibility that the alpine skier Matea Ferk may participate in the Olympics. It depends on allocated FIS quota in the process of relocation to be announced on Thursday, 4 February.
Ivica Kostelić, member of the Olympics team and alpine skier famous not only in Croatia but in the world as well, winner of silver Olympic medal (Torino 2006), addressed the media and prominent sports and state officials and stressed: "First of all I wish you good health because I know how important it is from my personal experience. I would like to thank the Prime Minister and members of the Government for their support to sport and I hope that they will continue this practice in the future as well. I am convinced that we will bring at least one medal from Vancouver".
The Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor encouraged the members of the Olympics team by saying: „Just realize your dreams and we will be satisfied with your results. On Sunday I was in Vienna watching the finals and comforting our handball players who took a silver medal. I told them that they should not be disappointed, that they should imagine how great it would be if Croatia was ranked second in Europe in terms of economy, education or other areas. I would like to see the persistence, wish to achieve the goals and spirit of our athletes in work of the Government”, said the Prime Minister and wished good health to the members of the Croatian Olympics team.
The President of Croatian Olympic Committee Zlatko Mateša said that the project Winter Olympic Games Vancouver has been going on for 30 months already and that he was sure about success of Croatian athletes. He also thanked the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the provided support. During the above period 38 athletes and 4 coaches have been users of the Program of Winter Olympic Games Vancouver, and a total of HRK 13,823,356 has been spent in the period from 2007 to 2010, while additional HRK 1,318,600 is planned in 2010 (for January and a part of February).