At the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, British ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean turned in a flawless performance that earned them perfect marks for artistic impression and a stunning gold medal.

It is 35 years since British figure skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean danced the Bolero at the Olympic Winter Games Sarajevo 1984, but the passing of time has done nothing to dampen the worldwide fascination with their performance or lessen the impact it had on their sport.

1984: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of Great Britain on their way to winning gold medals in the Ice Dancing event during the Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games in Yugoslavia. \ Mandatory Credit: Trevor Jones /Allsport

1984: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of Great Britain wave to the crowd pose with their gold medals after winning the ice dance in the figure skating competition at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The couple very nearly accomplished one of the greatest Olympic come-backs in history when they took advantage of the IOC rule change in 1993 enabling professional skaters to compete in the Games. They caused raptures in the Games of 1984 in Sarajevo with their interpretationof Ravel's Bolero; for many among the millions who watched this Olympic event on television, the memory is indelible. But ten years on, the pair were not quite able to recapture their verve and athleticism and finished in the bronze medal position in Lillehammer.

Sarajevo staged an impeccable Olympic Winter Games in 1984 – but eight years later, the city was torn apart by war.  The Olympic spirit and a global outpour of support – including a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee – helped the capital get back on its feet. The spirit continues to be a central part of the region’s identity and the recent European Youth Olympic Winter Festival marked a new chapter in its Olympic history.

When the Olympic Winter Games were first held in 1924, there were just 258 athletes from 16 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) taking part. In Sochi, however, there will be more than 2,800 competitors from a record 87 NOCs.

Medal events: 5 Athletes: 148 Dates: 6–22 February