The people from Sarajevo, with their bare hands, created games. Taxi was driving for free, the whole city was singing ...

8 February marks the 34 years of the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. On this occasion we reiterate text Armin Hasanbegović.

When Sarajevo applied for the candidacy of the 14th Winter Olympic Games, the city could offer nothing but snow on the surrounding mountains and the Bosnian kebabs, but Sarajevo enthusiasts candidacy was neither stupid, not brave, but on the contrary very feasible. And when on 19 May 1978 in Athens with three votes ahead of Japan's Sapporo voted that will host the 1984 Winter Games will be in Sarajevo, it was the first big step of a small town in the world's sporting history. Today, the eighth of February, celebrated 34 years of the Games.

During those 80 years when the Olympics overshadowed by the terrorist attack on the Israeli athletes in Munich, boycotts Americans and Soviets at the Games in Moscow and Los Angeles, an unknown, a multiethnic city in the heart of the Balkans has managed to re-affirm the Olympics and transmit the world the Olympic spirit.

Ski resorts, slopes, resorts, hotels ...

Preparations for the Games are running rapidly, and the city has become a big construction site. The result was impressive. For almost three years built settlements for journalists and athletes Dobrinja and Mojmilo, sports complex Zetra with the Olympic hall and stadium for speed skating, expanded the hall Skenderija, reconstructed stadium Kosevo, and to Mary Dvor arose one of the most luxurious hotels Holiday Inn. In the mountains were built five ski jump, eleven ski lifts to transport 18,300 skiers per hour, tracks for alpine skiing, cross biathlon, bobsleigh track and toboggan run on Trebevic, on the mountains of new hotels "Doe", "Vucko", "Bistrica" 45 km tarred road to the arena, a new airport, renovated building RTV etc., etc. The city was in a new light, the atmosphere was amazing, everything is shining, there were pieces of paper on the street, facade as in a fairy tale, hosts excited, happy and friendly. Everything is in the sign of flakes and Vucko, the mascot of the Games. Vucko on sleds, skis, skates, bobsled ... Sarajevo was ready to become the center of the world.

Welcome to Sarajevo

Opening ceremonies followed the 60,000 Sarajevans at the Kosevo Stadium and about two billion people over the TV. Radio and television for months in advance preparing the citizens for the big event. "Sarajevo games were for me especially emotional, you can not convince the feeling I had when I was given the honor of lighting the Olympic torch", proudly later told Croatian skater Sanda Dubravčić which ignited a flame in the midst of Seher.

At the opening of the celebrated skier Bojan Križaj on behalf of all athletes laid the Olympic oath and forgot half of the text, but it is with thunderous help people to stand still managed to finish. And when you get on the track appeared Jure Franko with the Yugoslav flag in hands, the stadium erupted with delight and rapture. The baskets are that day and hundreds of students from Sarajevo magnificent the aim of the youth and beauty all over the world to send a message of peace and friendship. The games are open and in front of Sarajevo was twelve brilliant day in its history.

Snow cleaned all

In a city that has turned into a large labor action, there was a fever, it was thought at all, but this back in 1984. The winter was dry and mild, there was no snow. "The collapse of the Games", feared the entire nation. People are days looking at the sky, not losing hope. And on the opening day of the sky as it is opened and long-awaited snow began to fall. Already in the morning the city was buried, and when the photographers and journalists took to the streets to photograph the snow in the city, were dumbfounded: "Never in my life have I seen such a thing. On the streets of thousands of people singing cleaner snow, from the youngest who are it hands can handle cast aside, to adults with shovels. everyone, just everyone, citizens were out and cleaned, "the later one of the journalists present.

But that day no one in the world could not be happier and prouder of Sarajevo. "Where were you that day ?! I was on Skenderija, shoveling," a nostalgic story one of those who on that day 33 years ago cleaned the snow that buried the city.

A blizzard in the mountains and gale-force winds which caused new snow on the track recalls Bernhard Russi, one of the greatest experts in the creation of trails for downhill: "I will never forget ... Volunteers are the rules of the hands of snowball throwing water on them, and freezes simply build a meter by meter track. that was one of the most impressive I've ever seen anyone do that on one track. "

Partying in the bazaar

In Sarajevo on the streets rivers of people from around the world, at every step you can hear another language. All have labored to restore the knowledge of their city and at least a little to learn English, taxi drivers, vendors, waiters ... in school then was located about 800 Sarajevo taxi driver. At every step could be heard: No problems ... no problems. Nobody was scowled at, there was no incident, the organization was perfect. It often happened that the taxi drivers drive for free, and if you lose something, you could be sure that it will be returned.

The whole city looked like as fairs, it was twelve days derneka a city is not remembered. Singing day and night: Index, cola, Ibrica ... Foreigners are constantly pulling at his sleeve and took home the Bosnian coffee and baklava. It was in three shifts, in Sarajevo cafes there were no empty chairs, and if by chance there were dishes that you wanted to eat, "no problems" said the owners and brought from other restaurants. The story that one waiter tried to cheat Hollywood acting legend Kirk Douglas adding a zero to the account spread is the market-like lightning, paradise she wanted "to kill", and the restaurant was immediately closed. It is not allowed to be a scam, no one could spoil the magic, winter Sarajevo fairy tale. And the mass of people can all have proven these days citizens of Sarajevo and did it impossible becomes possible.

Skied for VCR

Within 30 kilometers of the city all the venues ready. Alpine discipline on Jahorina and Bjelasnica, biathlon, jumping and cross-country skiing on Igman, bob and sledging on Trebevic, artistic, speed skating and ice hockey in the ethers and skating and hockey in Skenderija. While some athletes already won the first medals, hundreds of thousands of people patiently and anxiously expected the first home medal in the history of the Winter Games. And when Primoz Ulaga and Bojan Crucify helplessly spread arms not withstanding great pressure, all eyes were on Jure Franko who are in the giant slalom with the number six set sail down the hill. The fans are cheering him with a banner: "We like Jurek over burek", and everyone knows how Bosnians hard to love something more than burek. When the target passed with a score of 1:20:26, time enough for a silver medal,

"I can not forget the positive energy and crazy atmosphere around the track and later on Skenderija. On race day I was nervous and after fourth place in the first run, I went to the cabin to get some sleep. The rest of the story is well known," said Franko which is before second run in the head was a VCR Hitachi is Ski Association promised to whoever wins a medal.

It's nice to be in Sarajevo ...

at the 14th Winter Olympics in Sarajevo occurred is 49 teams, divided 222 medals, attended by 2,691 athletes and coaches, 7,825 journalists, 760 editors, and sold 640,000 tickets.

After the number of medals have been most successful athletes from the former Soviet Union (25), the other East Germans (24), and the third Finns (13). The most successful contestant was Maria Lisa Hamalainen from Norway who won three individual gold medals in cross-country skiing and one bronze in the relay. Legendary American downhill skier Bill Johnson, who is only 20 days before the Games achieved his first victory, celebrated as the first American to win gold at the Winter Olympics in. However, the biggest stars of the Sarajevo Olympic Games were the "golden" British couple Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean in the competition of figure skating who impressed the world otplesavši Ravel's Bolero and East German skater Katarina Witt that are just games in Sarajevo made globally popular. It is interesting that Austria,

"Goodbye expensive Sarajevo"

message "Goodbye, dear Sarajevo" by 19 February 1984 IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said at the closing of the Winter Olympics ended, the beautiful fairy tale citizens of Sarajevo.

These were the first Olympic Games in the mandate of Juan Antonio Samaranch who until his death remained a great, true friend of Sarajevo. Unbreakable bond between one man and one city Samaranch was proved when eight years later in the whirlwind of war arrived in the besieged city and with tears in his eyes watching the burning ether. Then he promised to the IOC to restore as soon as possible. Of course, the promise is fulfilled, and the ether today bears his name.

Despite the war and generational shifts, the Olympic spirit is still alive among the inhabitants of Sarajevo, and the Winter Olympics most brilliant period and the most beautiful in the history of what happened to the city and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• 9 Feb, 2018
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