Miha Oserban Left Out as Slovenia Sends No Man to Levi World Cup Slalom

Slovenia will have no male skier on the start list for the World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland, after Miha Oserban was left out of the team travelling north. The 20-year-old had represented Slovenia alongside Žan Kranjec at the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, but will not compete in the men’s race in Levi, according to the report. Oserban’s absence comes after a difficult result at the most recent World Cup slalom in Kranjska Gora. He finished 52nd in March, last among the competitors who completed the first run. The article presents the lack of a Slovenian entry in Levi as a worrying sign for the country’s men’s slalom programme, once associated with celebrated skiers Bojan Križaj, Rok Petrovič and Jure Košir. The contrast with the women’s team will be striking. Slovenia is due to field five women in Saturday’s slalom: Neja Dvornik, Andreja Slokar, Nika Tomšič, Caterina Sinigoi and Anja Oplotnik. The report says the Levi race will give Oplotnik and Sinigoi a chance to gain experience at the highest level, as they usually focus on lower-tier competitions. The women’s event is scheduled for Saturday, with the first run at 10 a.m. Central European Time and the second at 1 p.m. The men’s slalom follows on Sunday at the same times, but without a Slovenian representative. The report does not offer further details about Oserban’s omission or say whether he will take part in another upcoming event.