Thialf

Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Thialf consists of the Thialf-hal (a 12,500-capacity speed skating venue) and the Elfstedenhal (a 2,500-capacity ice hockey venue).[2] Thialf is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, ice speedway,[3] and non-sporting events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records have been set in the indoor stadium.

This article is about the sports arena. For the crane vessel, see SSCV Thialf.
Thialf
LocationPim Mulierlaan 1[1]
Heerenveen, Netherlands
Coordinates52.9386°N 5.94201°E / 52.9386; 5.94201
OwnerEssent, Aegon, and the city of Heerenveen
Capacity12,500 seats
Surface15,000 m2 (Thialf-hal)
1800 m2 (Elfstedenhal)
Construction
Broke ground1966
Opened14 October 1967 (outdoor)
17 November 1986 (indoor)
Renovated2001, 2004, 2015–16
ArchitectAlynia Architecten Harlingen bv
Tenants
Heerenveen Flyers (Elfstedenhal)

Annually, Thialf hosts two Speed Skating World Cup events. Jan de Jong was the ice rink master at Thialf for many years.

History
Ice skaters and their coaches during the World Cup in the season 2007–2008
Main entrance after renovation

Thialf is named after Thialfi, a character in Norse mythology, who was Thor's servant and had to race a giant.[4]

Construction on 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 the IJsselstadion in Deventer. Several national and international tournaments have been held in Thialf, but only one world record has been set 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 one or 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, hosting the IIHF World U18 Championships (Division II, Group A) in late March 2012.

The stadium was renovated in 2016.[5][6]

Long track speed skating

Events
Dutch championships
Disciplinein:
Allround1968*, 1969, 1973, 1979, 1982, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Sprint1969*, 1973*, 1979*, 1982*, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2008, 2011, 2012
Single Distance1988, 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
Disciplinein:
AllroundMen: 1971, 1975
Women: 1970, 1981, 1982, 1983
M+W: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013
World championships
Disciplinein:
AllroundMen: 1976, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1991
Women: 1972, 1974, 1992
M+W: 1998, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2014,
Sprint1985, 1989, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2011
Single Distance1999, 2012, 2015
World Cup
Disciplinein:
World Cup2006–07: 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)
2014–15: WC4 + WC6

Track records

These are the current track records in Thialf.

Men
Distance Time Skater Date Duration
500 m 34.07 Tatsuya Shinhama 8 March 2020 338 days
1000 m 1:07.09 Pavel Kulizhnikov 12 January 2020 394 days
1500 m 1:43.00 Kjeld Nuis 8 March 2020 338 days
3000 m 3:37.39 Sven Kramer 20 December 2019 417 days
5000 m 6:05.14 Patrick Roest 24 January 2021 16 days
10000 m 12:35.20 Patrick Roest 28 December 2020 43 days
Team pursuit 3:39.08  Norway 29 January 2021 11 days
Women
Distance Time Skater Date Duration
500 m 37.02 Angelina Golikova 8 March 2020 338 days
1000 m 1:13.24 Brittany Bowe 16 December 2018 786 days
1500 m 1:53.10 Ireen Wüst 8 March 2020 338 days
3000 m 3:56.85 Natalia Voronina 31 January 2021 9 days
5000 m 6:47.47 Esmee Visser 27 January 2019 745 days
10000 m 14:39.76 Carien Kleibeuker 24 March 2006 5436 days
Team pursuit 2:54.64  Canada 29 January 2021 11 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, Tina Turner, André Rieu, TOTO, Trance Energy and Prince, among others.

Also, the national Miss Universe competition was held in Thialf several times.

References
  1. Thialf, Thialf. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. https://www.elfstedenhal.frl/elfstedenhal-en-thialf
  3. http://www.fim-live.com/en/sport/sport/ice-speedway-gladiators/
  4. "Historie" (in Dutch). Thialf. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  5. "Second phase renovation Thialf". Zwart & Jansma Architects. 12 May 2016.
  6. "Thialf's new ice rink: sustainable, fast and 'super-right'". Priva.
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