Olympic bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak was named Slovenia's female athlete-of-the-year for 2004 the AZS, the country's athletics federation, announced Saturday evening (20 Nov).

Ceplak, who ran to a bronze medal finish in the 800m in Athens and earned a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in March, took top honours for the third consecutive season. 

In Athens, the 28-year-old became only the second Olympic athletics medallist for Slovenia since the small alpine nation achieved its independence in 1992.

Sprint legend Merlene Ottey, was the women's runner-up in the awards, with distance runner Helena Javornik third.

Ceplak, whose 1:58.72 in Budapest and 1:56.43 in Athens made her the second and fourth fastest of the year indoors and outdoors, resumed training at home in Celje nearly a month ago after a month-long break in early fall.

Her 2005 plans include a defence of her European Indoor title and she plans to debut indoors at the Boston Indoor Games on 29 January.

Hammer thrower Primož Kozmus, sixth in Athens and fourth at the World Athletics Final, was named the top male for 2004 at a highly entertaining ceremony co-hosted by Radio Slovenia's long-time athletics correspondent Boris Licof and former Slovenian double sprint national record holder Alenka Bikar.

Sprinter Matic Osovnikar and shot putter Miran Vodovnik, both Olympians, were second and third in the men's balloting.