Slovenian sprinter Matic Osovnikar and cross-country skier Petra Majdic were honored as the country's best male and female athletes in 2006, said reports reaching here from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana on Thursday.

The two athletes, who were selected by the Association of Slovenian Sports Journalists, received the awards in a ceremony in Ljubljana on Thursday evening, the Slovenian national news agency STA reported.

Osovnikar (224 votes) took the limelight in the track and field competitions this year with a surprise third place in the men's 100 meters at the European Championships in August. The 26-year-old set a new national record (10.14 seconds) en route to one of Slovenia's best achievements ever in the sport.

Osovnikar beat out gymnasts Aljaz Pegan (214 votes) and Mitja Petkovsek (136 votes) for top honors.

In the women's section, 26-year-old Majdic beat tennis player Katarina Srebotnik (232 votes) and judoka Lucija Polavder (43 votes). Her performances in the World Cup and the sixth place at the Turin Olympics secured her 390 votes from journalists, allowing her to finish well ahead of the competition.

Meanwhile, the journalists chose rowing pair Iztok Cop and Luka Spik as the best team. One of the world's best rowing duos, Cop and Spik proved again in 2006 that they are still a world-beating combination with a handful of wins in the World Cup.

Source: Xinhua