The outcome is difficult to predict as all three candidates have fought a close race and the nature of the election process makes projections unreliable. Analysts expect a run-off as no candidate will be able to secure an absolute majority of the 145 votes in the first round.

While Janković and Gabrovec have been touted as front-runners, Vehovar is thought to have seized the middle ground in the month-long campaign. It could also happen that a run-off fails to produce a winner if some of the delegates decide to abstain once their candidate is eliminated.

Mostly ceremonial and lacking a professional pay package, the position carries weight due to the role of the OKS as the umbrella sports body in the country which helps guide the work of various association and engages stakeholders on key issues related to sport in the country.

The outcome will be closely watched by the country's top athletes, who expect the position to be filled by a charismatic leader capable of securing financing for sport and standing up for the interests of professional and amateur athletes alike.

Should a winner emerge, he will be only the second president of the OKS in the organisation's 23-year history, taking over from Janez Kocijančič, who is widely credited with building Slovenian Olympic sports from scratch into a perennial top-five finisher when measured by medals per capita.