The Sarajevo bobsled track just witnessed a new level of madness. Serbian MTB rider Nikola Vuckovic has claimed the title of “King of the Bob,” setting a staggering new world record by barreling down the legendary track at an electrifying 79 km/h. This is our joint project that we were planning for several months, and it is almost unbelievable that it happened just weeks after UK rider Matt Jones set the record by hitting 68 km/h on the same track.
Nikola and I have been friends since childhood, bonded by our shared love for biking. He was one of the new kids who joined my crew, and together, we spent countless hours riding through Belgrade. Though life took us in different directions professionally—I pursued photography while Nikola followed his own path—biking has always kept us connected.
During his recent visit to Sarajevo, Nikola decided to tryout the track clocking an impressive 72km/h. We immediately started making plans for the return trip to Sarajevo to capture the whole experience and turn it into a well-documented project called The King of the Bob. The photos from this project truly speak for themselves. They’ll stand as a lasting reminder of this incredible moment in such an iconic place. Yet, I know that bikes will continue to connect us, and who knows what adventure we’ll come up with next.
Originally built for the 1984 Winter Olympics, the 1300-meter bobsled track on Trebevic Mountain in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has since become a magnet for thrill-seekers. From skateboarders to mountain bikers, adventurers have tackled its steep drops and unforgiving turns, but recently, mountain bikers have found its curves particularly irresistible. Just as Nikola was gearing up for his own attempt, British rider Matt Jones posted a video of him going 68 km/h on the Sarajevo bob track. The internet went wild over Jones’ mind-blowing descent, but Vuckovic, wasn’t discouraged.
I was now determined to break the record Matt Jones has set, because I already had a faster ride. We came to Sarajevo and dedicated an entire day to this project. My plan was simple: go down the track as many times as it took to break the record. And finally, after several attempts, I hit 79 km/h – Vuckovic explains.
The video of him tearing down the track will give you goosebumps. Even he admits it’s one of the wildest things he has ever done. This ranks high on the list of crazy, scary things I’ve tried in my life. Riding this track is sheer madness. The speed you build up is insane. There are moments where you’re flying into a turn, and you can barely see it properly.
The pressure is intense, not like regular resistance. It’s so strong that controlling the handlebars becomes nearly impossible. At some points, I had to tap the brakes just to avoid launching over the edge. And as you go faster, your body position gets wild. It took a few runs just to adjust to how the bike and my body handled different sections of the track – Nikola shares with us first-hand impressions.
Reflecting on his accomplishment, Vuckovic says, “I feel incredible. I expected to break the record, but honestly, I never imagined I’d reach this speed. It’s an unreal feeling.”