On February 8, 1984, at the Koševo Stadium, the 14th Winter Olympic Games were opened in Sarajevo.
These were the first Winter Olympic Games in a socialist country, and preparations lasted for seven years after Sarajevo was chosen as the host in May 1978, competing against the Japanese city of Sapporo and the Swedish city of Gothenburg. The organization of the 14th Winter Olympics cost $142.6 million, with half of the revenue generated from the sale of TV broadcasting rights.
Skater Sanda Dubravčić lit the Olympic flame at 3:44 PM, officially kicking off the celebration of winter sports. The oath on behalf of all athletes was taken by Bojan Križaj, the best Yugoslav alpine skier.
The opening ceremony was attended by around 60,000 people at the stadium and approximately two billion viewers on TV screens. Athletes from around the world participated, representing 49 national teams with over 2,500 athletes and their entourages.
After the 14th Winter Olympics, Sarajevo was left with beautiful Olympic facilities, 2,850 newly constructed comfortable apartments, numerous hotels, and much more. Additionally, 9,500 new jobs were created.
Vučko – the official mascot
Readers of Yugoslav newspapers were asked to choose the mascot for the 1984 Winter Olympics among 6 finalists (out of a total of 1240 drawings). The winner was Vučko, a small wolf, designed by Slovenian designer and illustrator Jože Trobec. Vučko symbolized people’s desire to befriend animals. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Vučko helped change prejudices about wolves being intimidating and bloodthirsty animals.
Other finalists included a squirrel, lamb, ibex, prickly pig, and a snowball.
We Love Jurek More Than Burek!
On February 14, 1984, Jure Franko, a former alpine skier, won the only silver medal for Yugoslavia at the Sarajevo Olympics in the giant slalom. Franko was in fourth place after the first run in the giant slalom, but he had the fastest time in the second run, securing him the second-place finish overall.
Jure Franko became a sports hero of Yugoslavia with this race, and the residents of Sarajevo carried him through the city, chanting “We Love Jurek More Than Burek.”
Medals
The design of the medal awarded at the 14th Winter Olympics in Sarajevo featured the official emblem—a stylized snowflake designed by Miroslav Antonič—with the Olympic rings above it on the front side. The edge of the circle had the inscription “XIV Winter Olympic Games – Sarajevo 1984.” On the reverse side was a stylized head of an athlete crowned with a laurel wreath. A total of 285 medals were produced at the Majdanpek mint, and 222 medals were awarded.
