LJUBLJANA, Slovenia - The Turin torch relay passed into Slovenia on Friday, with former Olympic skiing silver medalist Jure Franko among those running with the flame.
Franko ran through the streets of the western city of Nova Gorica, on the border with Italy. He then carried the torch by car to Ljubljana, the Slovene capital, where about 20 torchbearers - including ski jumper Matjaz Debelak and former skier Katja Koren - joined the relay.
"I must admit - this brought tears to my eyes," said Franko, who won a silver medal in the giant slalom at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics for what was then Yugoslavia.
Thousands of spectators - including many pupils let out of school early for the occasion - cheered as the torch was carried across Presern Square in downtown Ljubljana to the Tivoli sports arena.
The torch then proceeded to neighboring Austria.
Slovenia, a country of 2 million squeezed between Italy, Croatia and Austria, is sending athletes to compete in skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, snowboarding and other events at next month's Winter Games in Turin.
The torch relay began in Rome on Dec. 8. The flame is to arrive in Turin on Feb. 10 for the opening ceremony.
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