Thirty-eight years ago, on February 8th, 1984, 50,000 spectators attended the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Olympic Games at the Koševo Stadium in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. For twelve ensuing days, 250,000 spectators and 2 billion television viewers watched nearly 1,300 athletes from 49 countries compete for medals…or simply participate. 

Sarajevo 1984 was the greatest sporting event in Yugoslavia’s history and the first Winter Olympics to be held in a socialist country. To many ex-Yugoslavs the Sarajevo Olympics are still that country’s brightest moment on the world stage, if not its last glorious hurrah. 

How did the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, the most unlikely of events held in a unique period of the Cold War, come about? What stories did these Olympics tell and what memories did it engender? And what is their future? 

With Jason Vuic and Sanela Klarić.


The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes two to three times per month.

• Shownotes/transcript: RememberingYugoslavia.com/Sarajevo-1984-Winter-Olympics/
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