Smrekar was the sole candidate voted on today by delegates of the SZS, getting all but five of the 294 votes of the attending delegates.

He proposed cross-country skiing legend Petra Majdič and entrepreneur Drago Bahun as his deputies. The SZS executive committee will vote on Majdič and Bahun at their next session.

"I'm happy that the ski association and the clubs...confirmed my candidacy with such a large majority. This is both a great honour and big responsibility," Smrekar said after the vote.

Smrekar comes from Atlantic Grupa, which owns food group Droga Kolinska, a long-time sponsor of the SZS.

After taking over as interim in October, he said his first task would be to ensure the best possible conditions for Slovenian competitors in the upcoming season.