The ski slope on Mt Bjelasnica above Sarajevo was officially named after Slovenian alpine skier Jure Franko, who won a medal 40 years ago on this spot in the 1984 Winter Olympic Games.

“Now, many years later, that I understand much better what could have gone wrong if snow had not come and if it had not been for your enthusiasm, efforts and improvisation, nothing could have been done. That was a victory of all of us. I cherish the memory of that win – the medal that was born on this slope,” the Slovenian said in a ceremony held on the Bjelasnica Mountain in presence of numerous officials.

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He invited his colleague, Slovenian skier Bojan Krizaj, to join him on the stage, saying that if it was not for Krizaj, he would not be here now.

Franko also called on Slovenia's authorities to follow Sarajevo's steps and name some of its ski slopes after Slovenian skiers.

He said he would be back once there is enough of snow.

“The equipment is here and I am ready,” he added.

Franko competed in the World Cup competitions as a former Yugoslavia skier. He is best known for winning a giant slalom silver medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games

The people of Sarajevo supported the Slovenian skier with banners that read “We love our Jurek more than home-made burek”, or in short, “We love Jurek, more than burek” – referring to a popular home-made pastry.

This year he is back in the Bosnian capital to join the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Winter Olympic Games.

The ceremony was attended by Slovenia President Natasa Pirc Musar, European Union ambassador in Bosnia Johann Sattler, Bosnia Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic, Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic and many others.

Addressing the event, Pirc Musar quoted Slovenian journalist Branko Soban, who said that the Olympic Games in Sarajevo were “the last Olympic Games with a human touch.”

“It was an extraordinary sport event, which brought together the hearts and souls of all of us who had witnessed that unforgettable spectacle. Those Olympic Games represented the peak of sport, tolerance and unity. As a passionate sport enthusiast and fan, I can clearly remember how the athletes from the whole world came together at the renovated Kosovo stadium,” the president recalled.

She then reminded of the tragic events that followed in the early 1990s.

“Sarajevo, once a part of a sport spectacle, became a victim of a cruel war. This city, where we are today, had witnessed some tragic events that none of us could have imagined even in the darkest nightmares,” said Pirc Musar, noting that the Olympic Games are returning to the European soil after a long time this summer in Paris.

Sport has a power to bring people and nations together, she stressed and concluded:

“It is a chance worth attention, especially in context of 55 armed conflicts across the world. In ancient Greece, the Olympic Games were seen as an end to all wars. I wish we could have something like that this year.But, to be honest, we all, including the United Nations, must put a lot more effort to achieve that.”