Igman Olympic Jumps | |
---|---|
Malo Polje | |
Location |
Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Opened | 1982 |
Size | |
K–point | K-90 K-112 |
Hill record |
Matti Nykänen (116.0 m in 1984) Primož Ulaga (95.0 m in 1983) |
Top events | |
Olympics | 1984 |
Igman Olympic Jumps, also known as Malo Polje, is a ski jumping hill on the mountain of Igman in Ilidža, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of a large hill with a construction point (K-point) of 112 meters (367 ft) and a normal hill with a K-point of 90 meters (295 ft). Construction started in 1980 and the venue opened in 1982 to host ski jumping and Nordic combined at the 1984 Winter Olympics. The large hill event saw Finland's Matti Nykänen set the hill record of 116.0 meters (381 ft) in front of 90,000 spectators. No other International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctioned competitions have taken place at the hills. During the Siege of Sarajevo, the hills became a battleground and have since not been used. However, there are plans to rebuild the in-run, expand the large hill and build new spectator stands and visitor facilities.
The Malo Polje area of Igman has traditionally been used for recreational cross-country skiing. During Sarajevo's Olympic bid, the two ski jumps were proposed as separate venues. However, after the games were awarded, the plans changed in favor of a single venue, which would allow better post-Olympic use. The area plan for the jumps were presented by the Organizing Committee's executive board on 30 April 1979 and was passed by Sarajevo City Council in September 1979. The design of the ski jump was approved by FIS on 18 October 1979. Work on auxiliary infrastructure started in mid-1979, including a new road from the city to Igman.
Construction of the hill and judge's tower started on 1 July 1980 and was completed on 1 December 1982. Construction of the ski lift started on 1 October 1982 and was completed on 30 October 1983. The jumps were inaugurated in 1983. After the Olympics, Sarajevo experienced a boom in recreational skiing among locals, including ski jumping.