Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a population of approximately 526,000. Until 1992 Bosnia-Herzegovina was a part of Yugoslavia.

Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympic Games. Prior to the opening of the of the Olympic track Zetra in 1983, very little Yugoslav speed skaters were known, but during the 1980s and early 1990s, it was the centre for Yugoslavian speed skating. In total it was used for 4 international championships, most recently in 1991. The rink was damaged during the civil war between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia at the beginning of the 1990s, and no races have been held at the track since 1992. This was part of the inspiration for Johann Olav Koss when he started Olympic Aid, and one of the results of this project is the rebuilding of the Olympic ice hall in Sarajevo. However, no plans exist for restoring the speed skating track.

By Bjarte Hetland, last updated December 22, 2006