The “Race of famous lovers of Jahorina ” has been announced on Jahorina Mountain, and it will take place on Saturday, March 10. It will gather true lovers of skiing, and the race will be opened by famous Italian skier and the great name of skiing in the world – Alberto Tomba.
This is not the first time for you to visit Bosnia. What do you feel and what changes every time you come?
This is my fourth visit. I was here in ‘87, ‘97, and 2008. We can say that I am here in Jahorina and Sarajevo every 10 years. I have beautiful memories on this place. I was fourth in giant slalom in the final race at the World Cup in 1987, and I was here for sponsorship in ‘97. In the year of 2008, I was here because of the race of ski legend. I also feel great about the invitation this year. I am always ready.
This year you will not participate in the race, but what kind of race do you expect? Competitive or, let’s say, a little bit more easy going?
I do not know, the only race in which I competed was the one with legends in Zagreb. There was Ingemar Stenmark, and I have great memories. Bojan Krizaj, Jure Kosir, that is a lot of champions who are hanging out together and remembering the old races. This is just a meeting place, it will not be a competing race and it will be nice to see all of them and have some fun.
What about the infrastructure that BiH has and which is left from the Olympic Games in 1984. It is the infrastructure that was destroyed by the time and the war in 1990s. Do you have any advice on how to reconstruct it in order for tourists and skiing competitions to return here?
I would like for my presence here to be a good sign for the future, with the aim to open new projects and improve tourism here. I remember young men who were refugees from BiH and skied with me on Stelvio. It was back in ’93. Those three young men lived in Bormio, and they were staying in Stelvio during the summer. I was always having them around me and I have a nice memory of that terrible war that happened. However, everything has changed now. It was 23, 24 years ago and it is time to start working and move forward. Although there will be no Olympics, you have a youth Olympics next year, and you can return with races of the World Cup with at least one discipline for men and women, as they did in Baska (Bulgaria). I believe that slalom and giant slalom for men and women is just a perfect idea, and then you decide, whether you should start talking about the Olympics again and whether it is a good idea.
(Source: N1)
