Thirty-something world
champions Aljaz Pegan and
Mitja Petkovsek hang tough
and look ahead
By John Crumlish
Petkovsek
Pegan
ITH a combined age of 68, Slovenian veterans Aljaz
Pegan and Mitja Petkovsek should theoretically be
coaching, launching careers outside gymnastics or devot-
ing themselves to anything other regaining world titles. Pegan and
Petkovsek placed first on high bar and parallel bars, respectively, at the
2005 world championships. Pegan placed second on his specialty at
is that, despite their medal tallies at world championships, World Cup meets and European
championships, neither man has achieved
Olympic success—yet. Petkovsek competed at
the 2000 Sydney games, where he made a mis-
the 2006 and 2007 worlds, and Petkovsek tied
for first on his specialty in 2007. ; The irony
take on his first skill in qualifications and failed to advance; in the finals
at his second games, in 2008, he lost momentum and finished fifth.
Pegan hoped to earn a wild-card berth to Beijing, but a wide-reaching
campaign on his behalf produced no such luck. ;
traveled to Ljubljana, where he sat down with Pegan, 35, and
IG’s John Crumlish
Petkovsek, who turned 33 on Feb. 6, to learn what drives and chal-
lenges them as they head toward the 2012 London Olympics.
