| Olympic Hall Zetra | |
|---|---|
| Zetra | |
| |
| Location | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Opened | 1983 |
| Renovated | 1999 |
| Owner | Sarajevo Canton |
| Operator | ZOI '84 organization |
| Surface | versatile |
| Construction cost | €16.4 million (1999 renovation) |
| Tenants | KK Bosna Sarajevo (2009) RK Bosna Sarajevo |
| Capacity | |
Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch, also known as Zetra Ice Stadium and Zetra Arena, is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was used for various sporting events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
History[]
Olympic venue[]
Olympic Hall Zetra was constructed specifically for the 1984 Winter Olympics, hosted in Sarajevo, and was completed in 1983. Its first major event was the 1983 World Junior Speed Skating Championships. It was described as an "ultramodern, angular edifice"[1] with a copper roof. The venue hosted ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating events, as well as the last closing ceremony helds in a indoor place until Vancouver 2010.[2][3]
From 1984 to 1991, Zetra remained in service as a venue for ice sports. It served as the venue for several international speed skating events, and several speed skating world records were broken here.
Destruction[]
The arena suffered substantial damage and was almost completely destroyed by shelling, bombing and fire by the Bosnian Serb forces on Monday, May 25, 1992 during the Bosnian War.[4] The remaining areas of the structure, such as the basements, were put into service as a morgue[5][6] and as storage space for medication and supplies.[7][8] The wooden seats from the venue were used as material for coffins for civilians killed in the war.[9][10]
Reconstruction[]
After the war, it was discovered that though the building was badly damaged, the foundation was secure. In September 1997, reconstruction on the venue, facilitated by the SFOR, began. The International Olympic Committe donated $US 11.5 million to the project,[7] which cost an estimated €16.4 million.[5] The reconstruction was completed in 1999.
References[]
- ↑ "Now Bring On The Torch" Bob Ottum, Sports Illustrated, March 14, 1983
- ↑ ZOI '84 OCS
- ↑ "A little touch of Heaven" B.J. Phillips, Time, February 27 1984
- ↑ "The Killing Ground" William Oscar Johnson, Sports Illustrated, February 14 1994
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Zetra returns to the future" David Taylor, SFOR Informer #57, March 17, 1999
- ↑ "1984: Sarajevo" Bonnie DeSimone, New York Times, February 5 2006
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Sarajevo 2010? Collateral Damage" Sports Illustrated, April 9 1999
- ↑ "Guns Now, Butter Later" James L. Graff, Time, July 20 1992
- ↑ "TV SPORTS; Goodwill Games Headed for Bosnia?" Richard Sandomir, New York Times, July 7, 1999
- ↑ "Sarajevo's Olympic Seats Are Now Coffin Boards" Mark Milstein, London Observer news service, August 5 1993
| Preceded by Olympic Center |
Host of the Olympic ice hockey tournament 1984 |
Succeeded by Olympic Saddledome, Stampede Corral. and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena |