The Trebević bobsleigh track was built taking into account the requirements of a top-notch sports facility, as well as the conditions of the mountainous landscape in which it is located. Like most buildings from the socialist Yugoslavia period, its construction relies on three key materials – concrete, metal and insulating materials – which together symbolize the strength, precision and adaptability of man in dialogue with nature.
Concrete was the basic building material, used to build the track itself and its load-bearing parts. Its resistance to low temperatures, moisture and loads made it the perfect choice for a complex system such as a bobsleigh track. In addition to its functional side, concrete is also a symbol of the strength of the community and its stability over time – a feature that, in the spirit of the time when the track was built, had a deep ideological meaning.
Metal was used as structural reinforcement and for the installation of specialized technical systems, including a cooling system that allowed the ice surface to be maintained even in higher temperatures. This material symbolizes precision, technical progress, and the ability of man to create infrastructure that surpasses natural limitations through engineering solutions.
Insulation materials, although invisible to the eye of the beholder, played a key role in maintaining the temperature and energy efficiency of the track. Their role in controlling heat loss speaks to the importance of subtle layers in any good construction – just as in society, where what is hidden at first glance often holds the structure together.
Together, these materials not only enabled the technical perfection of the bobsleigh track, but each in its own way also woven into it the values of the time in which it was created – solidity, functionality, and harmony with nature.

He arrived in Sarajevo on a cold February evening. It was that thick, heavy snow that makes no noise when it falls, but makes the city look like it's dreaming. He got off the bus with his hands in his pockets and a backpack over his shoulder, while the steam from his mouth mixed with the light of the street lamps. Although tired from the journey, his eyes were wide, absorbing every advertisement, every Olympic symbol on the posters, and the smiles of the people who, despite the cold, stood on the streets and welcomed the athletes. Sarajevo breathed differently. It wasn't just a host city – it was a home for everyone who came with dreams in their hearts and will in their muscles.
His name was Tomislav. He was only 22 years old and came from a small village near Celje, where the winters were harsh, but the dreams were warm. Bob trained for years - in improvised conditions, with rusty parts and no luxury, but with the belief that one day the moment would come when he would stand on the starting line of a real Olympic competition. When they told him he was going to Sarajevo, he remembered not knowing whether to shout for joy or sit and cry. And now he was here. In the room near Grbavica, with the uniform in the closet, looking at the calendar on the wall where it is circled with a red pencil – February 14, the first descent.
The first trip to Trebević was like a pilgrimage. Ascent by cable car, then a walk through the pine forest, the smells of resin, snow and silence that made it smaller than ever. The first time he saw the bobsled track—that concrete dragon winding through the forest, all shadow and light—he was breathless. Everything he had trained for, everything he had imagined, was now in front of him. Legend has it that the path's architect said that he designed the path not to disturb nature. And Tomislav knew - she didn't even bother, she was a part of her, like a river that stopped and became concrete.
The days passed in training, the snow fell quietly, and the city grew warmer every day, not in terms of temperature - but in terms of people. The people of Sarajevo stopped them on the street, brought them pies, irons and teas. Some even drew the flags of their countries and carried them to the stands. It was a world where sports were not played for medals, but for community. And in that silence of Trebević, where they were preparing for the fastest descent of their lives, Tomislav found what he was looking for – the feeling of belonging to something bigger than himself.
On the day of the race, as he stood in the starting booth and looked down the course, he felt a sense of peace. It wasn't the peace without fear, but the peace that comes when you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be. When he sat down in the bobsleigh, gripped the handles and looked his colleague in the eyes, he knew that nothing separated them from becoming a part of history. The descent lasted less than a minute, but for him – it was an eternity. The wind in his ears, the crunch of concrete, the roar of the crowd at the last turn... When they reached the finish line, he knew - it didn't matter if they were first, third or last. What mattered was that they were.
Years later, he returned to Sarajevo. The path was abandoned, overgrown with moss and colorful graffiti, but for him – nothing had changed. He touched the cold concrete and felt the same thing he felt then. Trebevic remained silent, but told him everything. Because some trails don't just go down the mountain. They lead home.

REFERENCES

1. Historija.info, Crtice iz historije, OLIMPIJSKA BOB STAZA NA TREBEVIĆU, 22.5.2024., https://historija.info/olimpijska-bob-staza-na-trebevicu/;
2. Furaj.ba, Bob staza na Trebeviću, https://furaj.ba/trebevicka-staza-za-bob-i-sankanje/;
3. Visit Sarajevo, Trebevićka staza za bob i sankanje, 3.1.2020., https://arhiva.visitsarajevo.ba/2020/01/trebevicka-staza-za-bob-i-sankanje/ ;
4. Klix, Bob staza na Trebeviću jedna je od 16 u svijetu, a još nije uknjižena: Ko će osigurati novac?, 18.8.2019.,
   https://www.klix.ba/sport/bob-staza-na-trebevicu-jedna-je-od-16-u-svijetu-a-jos-nije-ni-uknjizena-ko-ce-osigurati-novac/190818017
5. Banja Luka In, Pavle Pavlović, Nekrolog boljem životu, Sarajevska tužna bajka: Zar je uopšte postojala ta 14. Zimska olimpijada i bob staza na Trebeviću?, 6.2.2021.,
   https://banjalukain.com/clanak/212811/sarajevska-tuzna-bajka-zar-je-uopste-postojala-ta-14-zimska-olimpijada-i-bob-staza-na-trebevicu ;