Janez Kocijančič facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janez Kocijančič
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| 1st President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee | |
| In office October 15, 1991 – December 16, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Bogdan Gabrovec |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 20, 1941 Ljubljana, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | June 1, 2020 (aged 78) Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Nationality | Slovene |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer |
Janez Kocijančič (born October 20, 1941 – died June 1, 2020) was an important Slovene politician and a lawyer. He was also the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee for many years, from 1991 to 2014.
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Education and Early Jobs
Janez Kocijančič studied law at the University of Ljubljana. He earned his first degree in 1965. Later, he got his master's degree in 1974 and his highest degree (doctorate) in 2010. His final paper was about sports laws in the European Union.
While at university, he led the Student Union from 1961 to 1963. He then became president of the League of Youth of Slovenia (1966–1968) and later the League of Youth of Yugoslavia (1968–1971). He also worked as a minister in the government of Stane Kavčič. After this government ended in 1973, he left politics for a while. He then worked in business, first at a company called Interexport. From 1982 to 1993, he was the director of Adria Airways, an airline company.
Return to Politics
Kocijančič came back to politics in the 1980s. This was a time when political rules in Yugoslavia became more open. He worked closely with Milan Kučan, who later became the first president of Slovenia. Kocijančič also spoke up for the rights of Albanian people in Kosovo.
In 1993, several political groups joined together to form a new party called the United List of Social Democrats. Kocijančič was chosen as the leader of this new party. He served as leader until 1997. He decided not to run again because the party did not do as well as hoped in elections. Borut Pahor took over as the party's leader.
In 1993, Kocijančič also became a member of the first National Assembly (Slovenia's parliament). He worked on committees dealing with money, international relations, and justice. In 2004, he helped start a political group called Forum 21.
Sports Leadership
Janez Kocijančič was very involved in sports. From 1974 to 1984, he was the president of the Ski Association of Slovenia. Then, from 1984 to 1988, he led the Ski Association of Yugoslavia. During these years, Slovene skiers had great success around the world.
He became a member of the International Ski Organization (FIS) council in 1981. In 2010, he became its vice-president.
From 1991 to 2014, Kocijančič was the president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee for six terms. After 2005, he also joined the board of the European Olympic Committees (EOC). From 2013 to 2016, he was the vice-president of the EOC. In 2017, he was chosen as its president.
Family Life
Janez Kocijančič's father was Boris Kocijančič (1909–1968), who was a politician and a minister after World War II. His mother was Krista Kocijančič (1916–2011), a children's doctor.
Janez Kocijančič was married to Andreja Kocijančič (1942–2021), who was also a doctor. They had two children: a son named Gorazd Kocijančič, who is a philosopher, and a daughter named Nike Kocijančič Pokorn, who is a university professor.
Awards and Honors
Janez Kocijančič received many awards for his work in sports and business:
- Bloudek award (1985): This is the highest award in Slovenia for sports achievements.
- Kraigher award (1990): This is the highest award in Slovenia for business achievements.
- King Olav Trophy (2014)
- Honorary citizen of Ljubljana (2018): This means he was given special recognition by the city of Ljubljana.
- Silver Olympic Order (2020, given after his death)
- Honorary president of the Ski Association of Slovenia (2020, given after his death)
- European Olympic Committees Order of Merit (2020, given after his death)
See also
In Spanish: Janez Kocijančič para niños
