Venues of the 1984 Winter Olympics

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For the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), 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. After the war, Zetra Ice Hall was rebuilt and is in use as of 2010.

Contents

Venues

VenueSportsCapacityRef.
Bjelašnica Alpine skiing (men)Not listed. [1]
Igman, Malo Polje Nordic combined (ski jumping), Ski jumping Not listed. [2]
Igman, Veliko Polje Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined (Cross-country skiing)Not listed. [2]
Jahorina Alpine skiing (women)Not listed. [3]
Koševo Stadium Opening ceremonies50,000 [4]
Skenderija II Hall Ice hockey 8,500| align=center| [5]
Trebević Bobsleigh and Luge Track Bobsleigh, Luge 4,000 (luge)
7,500 (bobsleigh)		 [6]
Zetra Ice Hall Closing ceremonies, Figure skating, Ice hockey (final)15,000 [7]
Zetra Ice Rink Speed skating Not listed [8]

Before the Olympics

During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, 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 and second World Wars, 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 that would start five years later in Chamonix, France. 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. Sarajevo made their bid for the 1984 Winter Games in late 1976 and were awarded the 1984 Games in May 1978. [9] 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. [10] Skenderija II was constructed in 1969. [11] 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. [12]

Yugoslavia hosted the World Ice Hockey Championships in 1966 though those championships took place in Ljubljana (now in Slovenia). [13] Sarajevo had its first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup event in 1975 with a women's giant slalom event. [14]

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 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. [15]

Weather postponed the men's downhill three times before it was run finally. Bill Johnson of the United States won the event. [16] Nikolay Zimyatov of the Soviet Union won the 30 km cross-country skiing event that took place in a blizzard. [17]

After the Olympics

Sarajevo hosted an Alpine Skiing World Cup in March 1987 won by Luxembourg's Marc Girardelli for the men's giant slalom and a tie between Swiss skiers Maria Walliser and Vreni Schneider for the women's giant slalom. [18] [19] The Zetra Ice Hall played host to the European Figure Skating Championships in 1987. [20] Before the Yugoslav Wars of 1991, the last major winter sports event before the breakup of Yugoslavia was the European Speed Skating Championships that year. [21]

From 1991 to 1995, the Yugoslav Wars took place that involved independent movements in Bosnia, Croatia, and Slovenia, occurring in 1992–95, 1991–95, and 1991 respectively. [22] The Bosnian War that lasted from 1992 to 1995 that included the siege of Sarajevo which itself lasted from 1992 to 1996. [23] 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, the men's alpine skiing venue was a Bosnian Serb military installation, and the Zetra Ice Hall was reduced to rubble. [24] During the closing ceremonies of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch remarked about Sarajevo's situation and the concern for global athletes to assist in the conflict. [25]

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. [26] There was hope that Sarajevo would bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics in a sign they had recovered, but the city did not make the finalist list for those Games. [26] [27]

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For the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, United States, a total of five sports venues were used. This was unchanged from the previous games in St. Moritz. For the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics, an indoor venue was used for the figure skating and six of the twelve ice hockey events at the Olympic Arena. The first bobsleigh venue outside Europe was constructed for use. Four different 18 km and five different 50 km venues were submitted for approval prior to the Olympics. After the 1932 games, three of these venues served as host for their respective championships that were held outside Europe for the first time.

For the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, a total of six sports venues were used. Alpine skiing events took place for the first time and were held in three different locations. Riessersee held the speed skating and some of the ice hockey matches while the bobsleigh events took place south of the lake. The ski jump and its neighboring stadium played host to the cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping events. Even though figure skating and some of the ice hockey matches took place outdoors at the ice stadium, the ice itself was artificially refrigerated to prevent ice thawing.

For the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, a total of eight sports venues were used. The five venues used for the 1928 Winter Olympics were reused for these games. Three new venues were added for alpine skiing which had been added to the Winter Olympics program twelve years earlier in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. As of 2015, the bob run continues to be used for bobsleigh and the Cresta Run for skeleton while alpine skiing remains popular in St. Moritz.

For the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, a total of eight sports venues were used. Luge made its debut at these games, but were marred by the death of a British slider two weeks prior to the Games. A second ski jumping event debuted and the best two out of three jumps were used in both events for the only time in the history of the Winter Olympics. All eight venues would be used again when the Winter Games returned to Innsbruck twelve years later though the venues would undergo renovations in time for the 1976 Games.

For the 1964 Summer Olympics, a total of thirty-three sports venues were used. Six of the venues were built before the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1964 Games to Tokyo in 1959. This included two venues that hosted the 1958 Asian Games. There were thirteen new, eight temporary, and five reconstructed and/or renovated venues that were used during the event. During the Olympics, wind and weather had issues with two athletic events. After the Olympics, one venue hosted both a FIFA World Cup and a World Athletics Championship event while another also hosted a World Athletics Championship event.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1972 Summer Olympics</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1976 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, a total of eight sports venues were used. The games were originally awarded to Denver, Colorado in the United States in 1970, but they withdrew in the wake of Colorado residents voting against it for environmental and cost reasons in November 1972. This led to the International Olympic Committee opening up the bids for the games again, eventually awarding them to Innsbruck in February 1973. The Austrian city, having hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964, was in the process of having the venues used for those Games before Denver's with clear cutting of the alpine skiing venues, lessening of the amount of cross-country skiing routes, upgrading the ski jumps, adding lighting in the indoor sports arena to accommodate color television, and the construction of a combination bobsleigh and luge track. After the 1976 Games, the venues have remained in use, hosting events in Nordic skiing and the sliding sports. They hosted some of the events for the Winter Universiade in 2005 and seven of the eight venues served as host for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1980 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, United States, a total of seven sports venues were used. All five of the venues used for the 1932 Winter Olympics were also used at the 1980 Winter Games with adjustments. These adjustments included electronic scoreboards, increased refrigeration, and the addition of a separate luge track. This was the last Winter Olympics where there were separate bobsleigh and luge tracks. The closest finish in Olympic history in cross-country skiing led skiing officials to time future events in hundredths of a second rather than tenths of a second. This would also apply to biathlon events. Eric Heiden won five gold medals at the speed skating oval while the "Miracle on Ice" took place between Americans and Soviets at the Olympic Center. In the late 1990s, the luge track was demolished and a new combination track was constructed in time for the only Winter Goodwill Games held. The sliding venue was named to the American National Register of Historical Places in February 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a total of nine sports venues were used. Calgary tried twice to host the Winter Olympics in the 1960s without success before finally winning the 1988 Winter Games in 1981. Stampede Corral was built in 1950 while McMahon Stadium was built in 1960. When the National Hockey League (NHL) Flames franchise was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States during the summer of 1980, a new arena was needed. The Saddledome construction was underway in late 1981 when Calgary was awarded the 1988 Games. Completed in 1983, the Olympic Saddledome has played host to the Flames ever since, including three Stanley Cup Finals and the NHL All-Star Game in 1985. An innovation for the games was the first indoor long-track speed skating venue which has served as a model for future Olympics. The bobsleigh and luge track was the first combination track in North America and was noted for the Jamaican bobsleigh team crash during the four-man event. Both the Oval and the bobsleigh/luge track continue to host the World Championships in their respective sports since the 1988 Winter Olympics.

For the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, a total of thirteen sports venues were used. Val-d'Isère has been part of the Alpine Skiing World Cup since the late 1960s while Tignes served as host of the first Freestyle World Ski Championships in 1986. Most of the venues used were constructed between 1987 and mid 1990 with the test events taking place in late 1990 and early 1991. It was the last Winter Olympics with an outdoor speed skating rink which led to weather issues for three of the ten events. Three cross-country skiing events were run in snowstorms while the men's 20 km biathlon was found to be 0.563 km (0.350 mi) too short. The downhill events in alpine skiing were criticized for being too steep. Freestyle skiing made its official debut at these games with the men's winner being stormed after his win while the women's winner won her event in a snow storm. La Plagne hosted the skeleton World Championships in 1993 while Val-d'Isère hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2009.Some of the venues will be used again during the 2030 Winter Olympics,when the main host city will be Nice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 1998 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, a total of fifteen sports venues were used. Nagano had attempted twice to host the Winter Olympics, losing out to Sapporo, host of the 1972 Winter Olympics. The third time, in 1991, Nagano edged out Salt Lake City to host the 1998 Games. The biathlon venue was adjusted in accordance with the Washington Convention over endangered species. The biggest venue controversy was at Happo'one resort on the length of the men's downhill and the battle that ensued to the point where skiing officials threatened to pull the event entirely before a compromise was reached three months before the Olympics. M-Wave has hosted three World Speed Skating Championships since the Olympics, while the Spiral has hosted a couple of world championships in bobsleigh, luge and skeleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 2006 Winter Olympics</span>

For the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, a total of fifteen sports venues were used. Venue construction ran from 2002 to 2005. Cesana Pariol had to have turns 17 and 18 modified following the Luge World Cup in January 2005, but they were not cleared out until October 2005. Winds postponed the Nordic combined team event for a day. Many of the venues served as host for the Winter Universidade the following year.

Sarajevo 2010 was an unsuccessful bid by Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was one of eight candidates, but failed to be short-listed. Sarajevo was the only candidate to previously have hosted the games, having held the 1984 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track</span>

Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track is a bobsleigh and luge track situated on Trebević mountain overlooking the City of Sarajevo, built for the 1984 Winter Olympics.

References

  1. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 18-23, 107. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  2. 1 2 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 18-58, 106-7. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  3. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 24-7, 107. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  4. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 10-14, 90. Accessed 16 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  5. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 105-8. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  6. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 61, 64-70, 107, 180, 184. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  7. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 71-2, 87-88, 105-8. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  8. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 73-86, 105-8. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  9. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine p. 4. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  10. ↑ FC Sarajevo profile of their stadium. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in Bosnian)
  11. ↑ Centar Skenderija Sarajevo profile. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in Bosnian)
  12. ↑ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine pp. 107-9. Accessed 22 November 2010. (in English, French, and Serbo-Croatian)
  13. ↑ IIHF.org List of men's IIHF World Championship medalists: 1920-2010. Accessed 22 November 2010.
  14. ↑ FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Sarajevo 19 January 1975 women's giant slalom results. Accessed 22 November 2010.
  15. ↑ Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2009). "Figure Skating: Ice Dance". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 91.
  16. ↑ Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2009). "Alpine Skiing, Men: Downhill". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. pp. 187-8.
  17. ↑ Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2009). "Cross-country (Nordic) Skiing, Men: Discontinued Events". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 243.
  18. ↑ FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Sarajevo 22 March 1987 men's giant slalom results. Accessed 23 November 2010.
  19. ↑ FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Sarajevo 22 March 1987 women's giant slalom results. Accessed 23 November 2010.
  20. ↑ ISU.org Men's European Figure Skating Championship medalists: 1891-2009. Archived 2011-06-03 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 November 2010.
  21. ↑ ISU.org European Speed Skating Championships medalists: 1891-2009 (men. women since 1970). Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 November 2010.
  22. ↑ "Transitional Justice in the Former Yugoslavia". Archived 2010-11-21 at the Wayback Machine ictj.org 1 January 2009 article accessed 23 November 2010.
  23. ↑ "The new siege of Sarajevo". The Times (London, GBR) 8 October 2005 Charlie Connelly article accessed 23 November 2010.
  24. ↑ Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2009). "A Brief History of the Winter Olympics". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 7.
  25. ↑ 1994 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 2010-12-02 at the Wayback Machine Book 3. pp. 163-4. Accessed 23 November 2010.
  26. 1 2 "Scorecard: Sarajevo 2010? Collateral Damage". Sports Illustrated 5 April 1999 article accessed 23 November 2010.
  27. ↑ Gamesbids.com profile of bids for the Olympic Games: 1896-2016. Archived 2011-01-24 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 November 2010.
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