Torvill and Dean, the British duo who revolutionized ice skating by winning gold at the Sarajevo Olympics 40 years ago on Wednesday, will not be celebrating Valentine’s Day. “For us, today is Bolero Day,” said Christopher Dean, referring to the Maurice Ravel work that became synonymous with his and Jane Torvill’s triumphant 1984 routine. “When we’re not together, we call each other and say, ‘Happy Bolero Day.'”
The routine, which began with them kneeling together in purple costumes and swaying together, cemented their status as celebrities in the UK. Now, a year after his planned retirement, they are back in the city performing with local kids, many of whom are just starting out on the ice.
“It’s great to be back in Sarajevo 40 years after such a momentous event of winning the Olympic Games,” Dean said at Zetra Stadium, the same place they skated in 1984. I feel like it,” he said. about it. “
In 1984, Bosnia was part of Yugoslavia, the Berlin Wall still existed and the Iron Curtain divided Europe, but for the people of Sarajevan, the match marked a milestone in the city’s troubled history. It is considered one of the happiest moments. Any hopes of being recognized as a winter sports venue ended with the wars of the 1990s. Thousands of Bosnians were killed and Olympic facilities destroyed during the 43-month siege of the city.
Mr Torvill, 66, said: “I was very sad about the war and I was sad to know that Zetra Stadium had been attacked, bombed and demolished.” Although Zetra, the Olympic ice skating venue, was rebuilt in 1999, Sarajevo does not have a year-round ice rink.
Torvill and Dean plan to retire next year after 50 years of service. They have performed thousands of dances to Ravel’s Boléro. But their love for ice remains. On Tuesday, they trained with young athletes from Sarajevo’s ice skating club and kindergarten.
“It’s a beautiful movement. When you skate or glide, you know you’re on white ice. It feels like you’re flying,” Dean said. “It gives you a sense of freedom,” Torvill added.
