BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: ICE SKATING - Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean return to Sarajevo to delight a new audience by performing the Bolero 30 years after winning Olympic gold

Record ID: 659552

  • Title: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: ICE SKATING - Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean return to Sarajevo to delight a new audience by performing the Bolero 30 years after winning Olympic gold
  • Date: 13th February 2014
  • Summary: START OF BOLERO PERFORMANCE PEOPLE WATCHING TORVILL AND DEAN PERFORMING PEOPLE WATCHING TORVILL AND DEAN PERFORMING
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAF2CVIB8WQSXAHRUCX1P1BS64G
  • Story Text: Ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made an emotional return on Thursday (February 13) to the venue of their gold medal-winning performance at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
    Their re-enactment was a high point for the city before it was torn apart by war. Britain's most celebrated winter Olympians pledged their support for the construction of a new ice rink in the city to replace those destroyed by bombs during a 43-month siege between 1992 and 1995 in which more than 10,000 people died.
    The stadium, which was originally called the Olympic Hall Zetra, was destroyed in the 1992-95 Bosnian war. It was rebuilt in 1999 and renamed Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch, after the former President of the International Olympic Committee.
    Their performance that night took ice dancing to a new level but the pair feel that the stricter regulations on performers now hamper their creativity.
    Torvill and Dean received a joint invitation from the mayors of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo to visit the city and money raised from their performance will be used to build a permanent ice rink in Sarajevo, ahead of the 2017 European Youth Winter Olympic Festival.
    The opportunity to skate again at the scene of their greatest triumph gives them a chance to impress their respective children, who were not around to witness their finest triumph.
    Speaking earlier in the day to young skaters, Dean explained the impact that special day 30 years ago had on his life.
    While the British duo, who are now in their mid 50s, wowed the crowds in Sarajevo, the current generation of figure skaters will be looking to secure their own Bolero moment in their search for gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.
    Torvill and Dean had a big smile after their left the ice rink.

    "It was exhilarating and I'm very happy that we were able to do it, and we love the response of the audience. They all looked so happy when we waved to them in the end," Torvill said.
    Dean added that all those good memories after their nostalgic performance came flowing again.

    "Ah yes, absolutely. It was memorable; the two days were sort of merging, little bit like that. I was saying earlier that when we originally did Bolero it was a tragic love story, but tonight I think it was a celebration and happy event tonight," he said.
    Elma Krasny, who was a six-year-old girl who gave flowers to the pair after their winning performance in 1984, spoke about her joy of seeing her idols again after three decades.

    "I think that the fact that Dean and Torvill came to the city once again is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to our city, she said.

    "Thirty years ago when they were here, they all left us breathless and we all looked at them in such amazement when they were dancing. I think after they left all of us girls, I remember, bought Bolero CD-s and loved the music, and we all cut our hairs to Torvill," she added.

    "We just fell in love with them and I think it's beautiful that they came back and that we can see them dancing again. I had a privilege this morning to see them dancing and thirty years later they still dance with the same grace and the same perfection, they are just admirable."
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