Thialf
Thialf | |
---|---|
Thialf during the Dutch Allround Speed Skating Championship on 28 December 2008 | |
Location |
Pim Mulierlaan 1 Heerenveen, Netherlands |
Broke ground | 1966 |
Opened |
14 October 1967 (outdoor) 17 November 1986 (indoor) |
Renovated | 2004 |
Owner | Essent, Aegon, and the city of Heerenveen |
Surface |
15,000 m2 (big hall) 1800 m2 (small hall) |
Architect | Alynia Architecten Harlingen bv |
Capacity | 12,500 seats |
Tenants | |
Heerenveen Flyers |
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the indoor stadium. Annually, Thialf hosts two Speed Skating World Cup events. The arena has a capacity of 12,500 seats. Jan de Jong was the ice rink master at Thialf for many years.
History
Thialf is named after Thor's servant Thialfi who had to race a giant.[1]
The construction of the artificial outdoor ice rink was started in 1966 and it was opened on 14 October 1967 by Princess Christina of the Netherlands. It was the third 400m artificial ice rink in the Netherlands, after the Jaap Eden baan in Amsterdam and De Scheg in Deventer. Several national and international tournaments were held in Thialf, but only one world record had been skated on the outdoor rink, by Andrea Schöne on the 5000 m in 1983.
The roofed stadium, which seats 12,500 people, opened on 17 November 1986, about a year after Sportforum Hohenschönhausen in Berlin, which was the first 400m indoor speed skating oval in the world. Thanks to the indoor conditions, allowing climate control, almost all world speed skating records were broken at Thialf in the first season. Since 1988 it has been overtaken as the "fastest ice in the world" by the high-altitude indoor rinks in Calgary and Salt Lake City, which have the additional benefit of low air pressure.
Every year there are main skating events like the Dutch, European and World championships, and two Speed Skating World Cup events in Thialf.
The 2500-seat ice hockey arena adjacent to the speed skating oval is the home arena of the Heerenveen Flyers, one of the Netherlands' most successful ice hockey clubs. It is also the main arena used in the Netherlands for international ice hockey tournaments, for example it host the IIHF World U18 Championships (Division II, Group A) in late March 2012.
Long track speed skating
Events
- Dutch championships
Discipline | in: |
---|---|
Allround | 1968*, 1969, 1973, 1979, 1982, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
Sprint | 1969*, 1973*, 1979*, 1982*, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012 |
Single Distance | 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
- * Dutch allround 1968: only for women.
- * Dutch sprint: 1969, 1973, 1979, 1982: only for men.
- European championships
Discipline | in: |
---|---|
Allround | Men: 1971, 1975 Women: 1970, 1981, 1982, 1983 M+W: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013 |
- World championships
Discipline | in: |
---|---|
Allround | Men: 1976, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1991 Women: 1972, 1974, 1992 M+W: 1998, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2014, |
Sprint | 1985, 1989, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2011 |
- World Cup
Discipline | in: |
---|---|
World Cup | 2006–07: WC1 + WC6 2007–08: WC4 + WC9 2008–09: WC2 + WC8 2009–10: WC2 + WC7 2010–11: WC1 + WC8 (final) 2011–12: WC3 + WC6 2012–13: WC1 + WC9 (final) 2013–14: WC6 (final) |
Track records
These are the current track records in Thialf.
Men | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Distance | Time | Skater | Date | Duration |
500 m | 34.31 | Michel Mulder | 27-12-2013 | 47 days |
1000 m | 1:08.39 | Shani Davis | 09-12-2007 | 2257 days |
1500 m | 1:44.48 | Shani Davis | 13-11-2009 | 1552 days |
3000 m | 3:41.48 | Sven Kramer | 20-12-2008 | 1880 days |
5000 m | 6:10.37 | Sven Kramer | 29-12-2012 | 410 days |
10000 m | 12:45.09 | Sven Kramer | 28-12-2013 | 46 days |
Women | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Distance | Time | Skater | Date | Duration |
500 m | 37.60 | Jenny Wolf | 20-01-2008 | 2215 days |
1000 m | 1:15.01 | Christine Nesbitt | 22-01-2011 | 1117 days |
1500 m | 1:53.31 | Ireen Wüst | 29-12-2013 | 45 days |
3000 m | 3:58.68 | Ireen Wüst | 09-03-2013 | 340 days |
5000 m | 6:49.31 | Martina Sáblíková | 11-02-2007 | 2558 days |
10000 m | 14:39.76 | Carien Kleibeuker | 24-03-2006 | 2882 days |
World records
The following world records were set in Thialf.
Men | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Distance | Time | Skater | Dates | |
Set | Broken | |||
500 m | 36.55 | Nick Thometz | 19-03-1987 | 14-02-1988 |
1000 m | 1:12.58 | Igor Zhelezovski | 25-02-1989 | 17-12-1993 |
1500 m | 1:52.70 | Nikolay Gulyayev | 15-02-1987 | 05-12-1987 |
1:48.88 | Rintje Ritsma | 20-12-1997 | 12-02-1998 | |
3000 m | 3:59.27 | Leo Visser | 19-03-1987 | 13-03-1990 |
3:57.52 | Johann Olav Koss | 13-03-1990 | 03-04-1992 | |
3:52.67 | Jelmer Beulenkamp | 25-02-1998 | 21-03-1998 | |
5000 m | 6:47.01 | Leo Visser | 14-02-1987 | 22-11-1987 |
6:45.44 | Geir Karlstad | 22-11-1987 | 04-12-1987 | |
6:41.73 | Johann Olav Koss | 09-02-1991 | 22-01-1993 | |
6:38.77 | Johann Olav Koss | 22-01-1993 | 13-03-1993 | |
6:36.57 | Johann Olav Koss | 13-03-1993 | 04-12-1993 | |
6:30.63 | Gianni Romme | 07-12-1997 | 08-02-1998 | |
10000 m | 14:03.92 | Geir Karlstad | 15-02-1987 | 06-12-1987 |
13:43.54 | Johann Olav Koss | 10-02-1991 | 20-02-1994 | |
13:03.40 | Gianni Romme | 26-11-2000 | 20-02-2002 | |
12:57.92 | Carl Verheijen | 04-12-2005 | 31-12-2005 | |
12:49.88 | Sven Kramer | 11-02-2007 | 10-03-2007 |
Women | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Distance | Time | Skater | Dates | |
Set | Broken | |||
500 m | 39.43 | Bonnie Blair | 19-03-1987 | 06-12-1987 |
3000 m | 4:16.85 | Yvonne van Gennip | 19-03-1987 | 05-12-1987 |
4:07.80 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | 07-12-1997 | 13-12-1997 | |
4:05.08 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | 14-03-1998 | 27-03-1998 | |
5000 m | 7:40.97 | Andrea Schöne | 23-01-1983 | 15-01-1984 |
7:20.36 | Yvonne van Gennip | 20-03-1987 | 28-02-1988 | |
6:55.34 | Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann | 25-11-2000 | 10-03-2001 |
Other events
The arena has hosted concerts by many famous artists, including Whitney Houston, Andre Rieu, TOTO, Trance Energy and Tina Turner, among others.
Also, the national Miss Universe competition was held in Thialf several times.
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thialf. |
Coordinates: 52°56′19″N 5°56′31″E / 52.9386°N 5.94201°E