| Abstract | Sarajevo, grad u slabije razvijenom dijelu SFRJ, do tada poznat po atentatu na prijestolonasljednika Franju Ferdinanda kojim je započeo Prvi svjetski rat, ugostio je olimpijske igre, najveći i najpoznatiji međunarodni sportski događaj na svijetu. Sama kandidatura nedovoljno razvijenog Sarajeva za tako veliki projekt bila je iznenađujuća, a nakon što je Međunarodni olimpijski odbor u svibnju 1978. godine objavio odluku da pored švedskog Götteburga i japanskog Sappora (koji su ušli u najuži izbor) domaćinstvo XIV. Zimskih olimpijskih igara dodijeli upravo Sarajevu, pojavila se skepsa oko mogućnosti organizacije i realizacije Igara, ali i negodovanje oko velikih državnih financijskih izdataka. Potonje je osobito bilo izraženo kada je velika ekonomska kriza uzela zamah početkom osamdesetih godina, kada su pripreme za Igre bile u punom jeku. Obećanja Organizacijskog odbora o dobrobiti Igara za cijelu državu nisu bila dovoljno uvjerljiva, a priče o velikom međunarodnom ugledu zemlje, prihodu u inozemnoj valuti koji će spasiti državnu ekonomiju i korištenju svih novoizgrađenih objekata i infrastrukture u budućnosti, u kontekstu države pred raspadom, bile su tek govor u prazno. Rasprava oko financijskih ulaganja i profita od Igara prikazala je sve jače razlike između federalnih jedinica koje nisu bile sklone ulaganju u velike projekte na saveznoj razini, već su se sve više okretale vlastitim potrebama poput pronalaska radnih mjesta i osiguranja kontinuiranih prihoda te zadovoljavanje osnovnih životnih potrepština. Taj je individualizam postao izraženiji nakon Titove smrti, kada više nije bilo osobe koja je u stanju održavati napuklu Federaciju na životu.
Međunarodni olimpijski odbor nadao se da će olimpijske igre u nesvrstanoj zemlji spasiti olimpijski pokret koji je u to vrijeme proživljavao krizno razdoblje obilježeno politički potaknutim bojkotima i ostalim problemima. Taj je simbolizam prijateljstva i mira kao glavnih ideja olimpizma, iako u suprotnosti s realnom unutarnjopolitičkom situacijom u državi, naglašavan tijekom cijelog sarajevskog olimpijskog perioda. Iako su postojale određene sumnje da bi i na jugoslavenskim Igrama moglo doći do incidenata, to se nije dogodilo, a Igre su protekle mirno i vrlo uspješno.
Međutim, osim manje injekcije u turističkom sektoru i pozitivnih kritika na cjelokupnu organizaciju, sarajevske Igre nisu mogle riješiti duboko ukorijenjene probleme na državnoj razini, a nisu donijele niti spas olimpijskom pokretu. Raspad Federacije svega nekoliko godina kasnije i posljedični krvavi rat slikovito su prikazali veliki kontrast između isticanog bratstva i jedinstva s jedne te neodrživosti saveznog ustroja s druge strane. |
| Abstract (english) | Sarajevo, a city in the underdeveloped part of SFR Yugoslavia only known until then for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that started World War I, was chosen to host the Olympic Games, the biggest and most well-known international sporting event in the world. The very fact that the undeveloped city of Sarajevo was one of the candidates for a project of this scope was surprising, but when in May of 1978 the International Olympic Committee announced that it had chosen Sarajevo to host the 14th Winter Olympics over Götteburg, Sweden and Sapporo, Japan (which were both on the shortlist of suitable cities), there was much scepticism about whether the Games could be organised and held there, as well as a good deal of criticism due to the large sum of money the Government would need to spend on the venture. The later was especially emphasized as the great economic crisis took sway in the early 1980s, when preparations for the Games were in full swing. The assurances by the Organising Committee about how the whole country would benefit from the Games were not very convincing, and all the stories about the boost to the country’s international reputation, the income in foreign currency that would save the economy, and about using the newly constructed buildings and infrastructure in the future, in the context of a country on the brink of dissolution, seemed like empty promises. The discussion about the ratio between investment and profit from the Games illustrated the growing differences between the federal units, which were not prone to investing in large projects on a federal level, but were rather focusing on their own needs, such as creating jobs, securing stable income, and providing basic necessities for their citizens. This individualistic approach became more pronounced after the death of Josip Broz Tito, since he was no longer there to sustain the crumbling Federal Republic.
The International Olympic Committee was hoping that organizing the Olympic Games in a country that was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement would save the Olympic Movement, which was going through a crisis at the time that was marked by political boycott and other issues. The symbolism of friendship and peace as the main ideas of the Games, even though converse to the real political situation in the country, was especially emphasized during the whole period of the Olympics in Sarajevo. Even though there was speculation that there might be incidents during the Yugoslavian Games, none were recorded and the competition was a peaceful success.
However, excluding a minor financial injection to the country’s tourism and positive comments on the overall organisation, the Sarajevo Olympic Games could not solve the deeply rooted problems on the federal level nor did they save the Olympic Movement. The dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia several years later and the resulting bloody war dramatically illustrated the huge contrast between the emphasized sentiments of brotherhood and unity on one side and the unsustainability of the federal structure on the other. |
