Ljubljana - Slovenian steeplechase champion Bostjan Buc on Tuesday dismissed media reports which mentioned him in connection doping scheme exposed in Austria.

"I have no idea why I was brought into this context," Buc, 28, sauid in a telephone interview with the German Press Agency dpa in Ljubljana.

On Monday, news reports had alleged that Buc was part of the scheme exposed in Austria around sports manager Stefan Matschiner, with the Delo daily saying: "The wave (of doping) washed over the Alps (into Slovenia)."

Ljubljana  - Slovenian President Danilo Turk on Friday signed a law paving the way for Croatia to join NATO next week, the STA news agency reported.

Slovenia, a member of NATO and the European Union since 2004, is embroiled in a border dispute with Croatia. Both countries emerged as independent countries from former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Planica, Slovenia  - Finland's Harri Olli on Sunday won the final World Cup ski-jump competition of the season in Planica in Slovenia.

Olli, whose career had been marred by several controversies, including being thrown off the Finnish team, won with 424.6 points from jumps of 211 and 219.5 metres.

Second place went to Polish athlete Adam Malysz, who finished 12.2 points behind Olli after jumping 210 and 209.5 metres, while local favourite Robert Kranjec shared third place with Switzerland's Simon Ammann.

Planica, Slovenia - Norway captured the World Cup

Planica, Slovenia  - Gregor Schlierenzauer claimed a record 13th season victory and broke the 2,000-points barrier in the ski-jumping World Cup when he led the way on the world's largest flying hill.

The Austrian Schlierenzauer soared 203 metres in a wind-marred competition which saw only one round of jumping due to the difficult conditions, pipping Poland's Adam Malysz for first place.

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia  - Julien Lizeroux of France clinched the men's World Cup slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on Sunday.

Lizeroux posted a combined time of 1 minute 40.11 seconds to edge Italy's Giuliano Razzoli, who led after the first run, by 0.34 seconds.

Germany's Felix Neureuther was third, 0.56 seconds behind Lizeroux, with Benjamin Raich of Austria fourth.

It was a second World Cup career win for 29-year-old Lizeroux, the world championship silver medallist in super-combined, who was slalom winner in Kitzbuehel, Austria on January 25.

"It's always harder winning your second race so I am all the happier," said Lizeroux, who was lying fourth after the first run.