Feb 2 (Reuters) - Across village hills to towering ski flying arenas in Slovenia, the name Prevc is spoken as if it belongs to the country’s sporting landscape itself, with ambition rising across the nation as the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina draw closer.
For more than a decade, that surname has shaped Slovenian ski jumping, carried by the family whose careers now converge on one Olympic stage in what could be a dominating performance.
Ski jumping runs in the family. Their father, Bozidar Prevc,
is an international ski jumping referee and four of the five Prevc children have competed at elite level in the sport.
Peter Prevc, once the national face of the sport and 2022 Olympic gold medallist in the mixed team event now watches from the coaching platform as part of the national support staff.
He won his first medals in major competition at the 2013 World Championships in Predazzo, Italy.
Cene Prevc bowed out with a men's team silver in the 2022 Games.
Now Domen Prevc, a ski flying world champion and one of the most unpredictable talents on the circuit, is still searching for his defining Olympic moment.
Nika Prevc, the youngest at 20, has emerged as one of the leading figures of a new generation in women’s ski jumping.
Together, they will arrive at the Milano Cortina Games as more than medal contenders. They are a family that is a symbol of Slovenia's rise in a sport long dominated by bigger nations.
DOMEN PREVC AMONG FAVOURITES FOR OLYMPIC TITLES
Domen Prevc is a leading favourite for the individual events after a dominant season that has seen him win the prestigious Four Hills Tournament, claim two gold medals at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim and secure his first individual World Ski Flying title with victory in Oberstdorf last weekend.
He cemented his status in March 2025 by soaring 254.5 metres to set a world record on home soil in Planica.
"I’m really happy that everything fell into place and my effort is paying off," Prevc said after winning the World Ski Flying title.
"I’m the kind of person who needs some time for success to sink in. I'm not going to scream with excitement, but do have a great feeling right now. The dream continues.
"The Olympics are around the corner and I can't wait for them."
Nika is also showing strong form ahead of the Games.
Just two weeks before Domen set the men's world record, the 20-year-old claimed the women’s mark with a 236-metre jump in Vikersund, Norway. In an interview with Slovenian TV, Peter was clear who the most competitive one of the siblings is.
"Nika," he said.
She already has 13 victories this season and 35 World Cup wins in her career and won both individual world titles last year in Trondheim.
"I’m most excited about the Olympic Games because they will be my first ... I’ll say that the role (of favourite) has started to weigh on me a bit and that I definitely have to make sure I enjoy the competitions," she said earlier this year.
Recent results suggest both siblings have peaked at the right time, with each set to compete in their individual events and likely to line up together for Slovenia in the mixed-team competition, where a team of two women and two men jump.
For the small nation, there is hope that the hills of Predazzo can host a shared family triumph.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
