FORMER OLYMPIC BOBSLEIGH TRACK

This dilapidated and graffiti-covered reinforced concrete sports facility (Olimpijska Staza za Bob i Sankanje) is the most impressive remnant of the Winter Olympics of February 1984. Although it is hard to see, it has become a popular place for walking in the middle of nature. Completed in September 1982 and used only once in international competition, the structure consists of three courses that share a common section: one of 1,300 m in length for men's two-man and four-man bobsledding, another of 1,210 m for individual luge, and a final one of 993 m for women's individual and men's doubles luge. The 1984 events were dominated by East Germany, although Switzerland won the four-man bobsleigh. During the siege of Sarajevo, the track and its surroundings were used by the Bosnian-Serb army to fire on the city. Apart from a few holes in the curves for snipers, the track was relatively untouched. However, the refrigeration systems used to maintain the ice cover for the sleds and bobsleds were irreparably damaged. In addition, all the ancillary facilities were vandalized and left without maintenance. Impossible to restore for competitions, the site knows nevertheless a second life since a few years: the place is very appreciated by the amateurs of strong sensations who descend the track in mountain bike, skate or roller.