XIV Olympic Winter Games

Sarajevo, the Jerusalem of Europe; a cultural mecca hidden within a misty valley far atop the Dinaric Alps. For ethnic Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks, Slovenes, Macedonians, it is home. For Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Orthodox Christians, and people of no belonging creed, it is home. Sarajevo was the enlightened epicenter of the former Yugoslavia. Sarajevo survives today, but it was the city that played host to the Games of the XIV Winter Olympiad more than thirty years ago that glimmers in a wintry snow globe, now, frozen in time waiting to be lit.

Sarajevo, akin to Salt Lake City, sits in a dry valley perpetually surrounded by white-capped peaks. A forest to the west and east of the mountains. Economic prosperity had brought the country attention. Not a new comer to hosting large-scale international events, the city won bid to host in 1978. The initial phase of construction began; the city erected numerous stadiums and venues. The city was ready. The people were ready. And ultimately, the country was ready.

Through the 8th of February to the 19th, the city rallied together to welcome the international community. A tournament of firsts, broken records, and Balkan theatricality made the whole showcase a success. Yugoslavia brought home medals in multiple categories. The United States had its share of victories as well. The ultimate winners were not the individual participants but the city itself. Sarajevo had its moment to shine, and it capitalized. It took home the gold in civility, solidarity, and community. A great Winter Games!

Now, the city is rebuilding. A civil war in the 1990s ravaged the city and the country as a whole. The Olympic plaza is no more - nothing remains of the Games, other than a few vestiges of concrete and rubble. The stadiums and venues have all been re-purposed or reformed. The city, as it was thirty years ago, is still strong.