For the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
,
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
(now
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
), a total of nine sports venues were used. The idea for the Games came around from a 1968 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development study on promoting winter tourism in Yugoslavia. After Sarajevo was awarded the 1984 Games in 1978, venue construction and renovation took place between 1979 and 1983. Weather postponed the men's downhill alpine skiing event three times before it was finally run. The men's cross-country skiing 30 km event was run during a blizzard. After the games, all but one of the venues were damaged during the
Bosnian War and the
siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav People's Army, the city was then be ...
. After the war,
Zetra Ice Hall was rebuilt and is in use as of 2010.
Venues
Before the Olympics
During the reign of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, Sarajevo was a popular venue for the forerunner of luge. When the
Austro-Hungarian Empire controlled Sarajevo, modern luge, skating, and skiing was introduced. Between the
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
second World Wars
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, ski jumps and a mountain lodge were constructed along with the first Yugoslav ski rally at Jahorina in 1937. After World War II, Jahorina in Sarajevo hosted the International Students Winter Week in 1955, a forerunner to the Winter
Universiade
The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a portmanteau of the words "University" and " Olympiad".
The Universiade is referred ...
that would start five years later in
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. A 1968
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development study on developing winter tourism in Yugoslavia would serve as a catalyst for a bid for the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
. Sarajevo made their bid for the 1984 Winter Games in late 1976 and were awarded the 1984 Games in May 1978. Koševo Stadium which was used for the opening ceremonies was constructed in 1952, renovated in 1966, and renovated again in 1983 in time for the 1984 Winter Olympics. Skenderija II was constructed in 1969. Design and construction for new and existing facilities took place between 1979 and 1983 though a majority of the venues were built completely by 1981.
Yugoslavia hosted the
World Ice Hockey Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annua ...
in
1966 though those championships took place in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...
(now in
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
). Sarajevo had its first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup event in 1975 with a women's giant slalom event.
During the Olympics
At the Zetra Ice Rink during practice for the ice dance event the morning before the free dance final,
Jayne Torvill and
Christopher Dean of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
arrived early to prepare. At the end of their routine, they were met with applause from the 20 to 30 venue workers who were cleaning the seats and had stopped working to watch Torvill and Dean practice.
Weather postponed the men's downhill three times before it was run finally.
Bill Johnson of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
won the event.
Nikolay Zimyatov
Nikolay Semyonovich Zimyatov (russian: Николай Семёнович Зимятов; born 28 June 1955), is a Soviet and Russian cross-country skier. He was the first man in the sport to win three gold medals at a single Winter Olympics, in t ...
of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
won the 30 km cross-country skiing event that took place in a
blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...
.
After the Olympics
Sarajevo hosted an Alpine Skiing World Cup in March 1987 won by
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
's
Marc Girardelli
Marc Girardelli (born 18 July 1963) is an Austrian and Luxembourgish former alpine ski racer, a five-time World Cup overall champion who excelled in all five alpine disciplines.
Biography
Born in Lustenau, Austria, Girardelli started skiing at ...
for the men's giant slalom and a tie between
Swiss skiers
Maria Walliser
Maria Walliser (born 27 May 1963) is a Swiss former alpine skier.
Career
Walliser grew up in Mosnang, the daughter of a wealthy cattle breeder. She made her World Cup debut in 1980. Together with her fellow Swiss Erika Hess, Michela Figini and ...
and
Vreni Schneider
Verena "Vreni" Schneider (born 26 November 1964) is a retired ski racer from Switzerland. She is the most successful alpine ski racer of her country, the fourth most successful female ski racer ever (after Lindsey Vonn, Annemarie Moser-Pröll an ...
for the women's giant slalom. The Zetra Ice Hall played host to the
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European champion. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, an ...
in
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
. Before the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
of 1991, the last major winter sports event before the
breakup of Yugoslavia was the
European Speed Skating Championships that year.
From 1991 to 1995, the Yugoslav Wars took place that involved independent movements in Bosnia,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, occurring in 1992–95, 1991–95, and 1991 respectively. The
Bosnian War that lasted from 1992 to 1995 that included the
siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav People's Army, the city was then be ...
which itself lasted from 1992 to 1996. At the early part of the war and the siege, the bobsleigh and luge track was transformed into a
field artillery position for Bosnian Serb
guerillas
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tacti ...
, the men's alpine skiing venue was a Bosnian Serb military installation, and the Zetra Ice Hall was reduced to rubble. During the closing ceremonies of the
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games ( no, De 17. olympiske vinterleker; nn, Dei 17. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, was an international winter multi-sport event held fro ...
in
Lillehammer, IOC President
Juan Antonio Samaranch
Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquess of Samaranch (Catalan: ''Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló'', ; 17 July 1920 – 21 April 2010) was a Spanish sports administrator under the Franco regime (1973–1977) who served as the seventh P ...
remarked about Sarajevo's situation and the concern for global athletes to assist in the conflict.
After the Bosnian War and the siege of Sarajevo, Zetra Ice Hall (now known as Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch) was rebuilt in 1997 and reopened in 1999. The Jahorina ski resort area where women's alpine skiing took place was the only venue unaffected by the war.
["Scorecard: Sarajevo 2010? Collateral Damage".]
''Sports Illustrated'' 5 April 1999 article accessed 23 November 2010. There was hope that Sarajevo would bid for the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
in a sign they had recovered, but the city did not make the finalist list for those Games.
Gamesbids.com profile of bids for the Olympic Games: 1896-2016.
Accessed 23 November 2010.
References
{{1984 Winter Olympic venues
1984 Winter Olympic venues
1984 Winter Olympics