Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympic games, making Yugoslavia the first communist country to host a winter Olympics.
I’m standing on a portion of the former bobsled run (which was built with the assistance of expertise from East Germany). It has now fallen into disrepair.
One fun fact from the 1984 games: they almost didn’t happen! Sarajevo saw a shortage of snow that year, and grass was poking through at many of the sports venues. Athletes, journalists, and tourists had come from around the world to witness the Games. Would they be postponed or canceled?
Then a miracle occurred. The night before the opening ceremonies, Sarajevo was struck by a blizzard that dumped a full meter of snow on the city. My tour guide from yesterday, who was in her 20s at the time, recounted sweeping snow off the seats in the stadium and other citizens re-piling the snow where it was most needed. Thanks to an enormous volunteer effort by Sarajevo citizens, the opening ceremonies occurred right on time.
The Sarajevo Winter Olympics were considered a success.
Sadly, the bobsled run is covered with graffiti. As far as I know, only the former Olympic stadium is still in use today. Some of my friends decried how the Bosnians have neglected their Olympic sites. I don’t think it’s simple neglect that’s caused the deterioration. Shelling during the Bosnian Civil War hastened the demise of many buildings and structures in Sarajevo.