© Slovak Post, 2006 For the second time in history, the Winter Olympic Games will be hosted by Italy. Half a century after the 7th Winter Olympic Games that were held in Cortina d ´Ampezzo - a town in the area of Dolomites - in 1956, this honour and responsibility has been awarded to the Northern Italian city of Torino. While in Cortina the Czechoslovak Olympic Expedition of 41 members included only three Slovak sportsmen, more than thirty sportsmen and sportswomen in Torino will represent Slovakia. Karol Divín – a legendary Slovak figure skater – took up to a successful 5th position in his Olympic debut. However, the same position of the Czechoslovak ice hockey team was considered a failure. The only Slovak representative in the whole ice hockey team was the goalkeeper Ján Jendek, a Slovan Bratislava legend. The roll call of ice-hockey great powers has been practically unchanged for half a century. Slovak followers of this sport have been waiting for a success story at the Olympics since Lillehammer. In the history of the Slovak Republic, the medals of Winter Olympic Games were out of our reach. In addition to ice hockey players, biathlonists and representatives of both Nordic and Alpine skiing and bobsleighers will also compete in Slovak colours at the 20th Winter Olympic Games. The motif for the Slovak postage stamp on the occasion of this year’s Olympics portrays a slalom skier. Slovakia has an Alpine skiing tradition to uphold: the achievements of Jan Šoltýsová-Gantnerová have not been forgotten. Therefore let us wish our sportspeople to disprove Coubertin’s famous creed: “it’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part.” Dr. Peter Osuský, member of the Slovak Olympic Committee