SLOVENIA IN SOLEMN MOURNING

Ljubljana, 8 November 1999


"He brought together body and spirit in a harmonious whole, he knew how to seek truth in life. All his life he worked hard, judged fairly and strove for the top. He reached for the Olympic laurel and he reached for the wisdom of life. All of Slovenia solemnly mourns over such a man", wrote the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Milan Kucan, in his letter of condolence to the spouse of the sadly departed world giant of sports gymnastics.

For his sporting achievements, for the promotion of Slovenia in the world and especially for all he has done for the sporting life of Slovenes, Leon Stukelj was awarded the highest state medal, the Golden Medal of Honour of the Republic of Slovenia, by President Milan Kucan in 1989. Sport equals youth, sport equals health and sport equals an optimistic outlook on life, President Kucan said at that ceremony. Such remains the image of Leon Stukelj whose person conquered the whole world in the blink of an eye at the Atlanta Olympics and was a motivation and a guiding light for the future of sport in Slovenia.