14th Winter Olympics: 33 years ago, Sarajevo was the center of the world

33 years ago, at the packed Koševo stadium, the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Olympic Games began at 2 PM, and the Olympic flame was lit by Croatian figure skater Sanda Dubravčić, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

With a spectacular choreography and program, Sarajevo was the center of the world from February 8 to 19. A total of 1,272 athletes from 49 countries participated in the 14th Winter Olympics, and more than 4,500 journalists reported on the event, writes Patria.

The program from February 8 to 19 included alpine skiing (Bjelašnica and Jahorina), bobsleigh and luge (Trebević), ice hockey and figure skating (Zetra and Skenderija), biathlon, Nordic skiing, and ski jumping (Igman). This concept of realizing all disciplines within a 25 km radius had never been seen before.

SELECTION OF THE MASCOT VUČKO

The mascot of the Sarajevo Olympics was Vučko, one of Sarajevo's most recognizable symbols. Readers of Yugoslav newspapers were asked to choose the mascot for the 1984 Winter Olympics from a list of 6 finalists. The winner was Vučko, a little wolf, designed by Slovenian designer and illustrator Jože Trobec. The other finalists were a squirrel, a lamb, a mountain goat, a porcupine, and a snowball. In short animated films, shown before broadcasts of sports events, Vučko was usually depicted as an clumsy, likable athlete, not very skilled in sports performances. Yugoslav singer Zdravko Čolić voiced Vučko in the opening credits.

At the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games on February 19, the then-president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, said that Sarajevo was the best organizer of the Winter Olympic Games in their history up to that point.

We remind you that Sarajevo won the organization of the world's largest sporting event in 1978, competing against Sapporo, Japan, and Gothenburg, Sweden, after which numerous preparations followed.

Capacities, infrastructure, and venues had to be built... Skenderija, two ice halls, the Holiday Inn, the Olympic Village in Mojmilo and Dobrinja, the Zetra hall, the bobsleigh track on Trebević, and the ski jumps were built even a year before the Olympics.

After the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the built infrastructure on the Olympic mountains was destroyed. The bobsleigh track on Trebević was neglected for years, and thanks to enthusiasts, it has been cleaned and occasionally hosts training sessions for luge teams visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ice hall in Skenderija has not been functional for years, especially after the roof of the ice hall collapsed in 2012.