Olympic flame illuminates Jahorina: New ski season opens

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Olympic Center Jahorina was the first in the region to start the ski resort, and lovers of white slopes could ski as early as December 4.

The new season officially opened this weekend, with the commissioning of the Poljice chairlift and the lighting of the Olympic flame, followed by a concert by British pop legend Bryan Ferry.

The ceremonial opening of the winter season was attended by the director of the Olympic Center Jahorina, Dejan Ljevnaić, the chairman of the Supervisory Board, Nedeljko Elek, a representative of the company Doppelmayr, Mr. Bernard Kershbaum, and other guests.

The director of the Olympic Center Jahorina, Dejan Ljevnaić, said on that occasion: “We realized eight major projects during the summer, and everything was completed on time and within the planned deadline, which guarantees us the most successful ski season ever.” 

Bernard Kershbaum, a representative of the company Doppelmayr, which worked on the construction of the Poljice chairlift, said he was satisfied with what was done on Jahorina. 

“The chairlift has a capacity of 1,200 skiers per hour, is easy to maintain, and I hope it will serve this mountain for at least 40 years. Jahorina has great potential, and I hope there will be more joint projects in the future,” Kershbaum emphasized. 

The opening of the 2019/20 winter season was marked by the symbolic lighting of the Olympic flame, which will shine throughout the year and remind of the period of the Sarajevo Olympics, whose competitions were also held on Jahorina. 

Participants in the lighting of the flame included world judo champion Nemanja Majdov and Olympians and Paralympians: Miro Pandurević, Momo Skokić, Aleksandra Vasiljević, Žana Novaković, Tanja Karišik, Mirjana Granzov, Nijaz Memić, and Jovica Goreta.