Thialf (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtijɑlf]) 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.[citation needed]
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| Location | Pim Mulierlaan 1[1] Heerenveen, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°56′19″N 5°56′31″E / 52.9386°N 5.94201°E |
| Owner | Essent, Aegon, and the city of Heerenveen |
| Capacity | 12,500 seats |
| Surface | 15,000 m2 (Thialf-hal) 1800 m2 (Elfstedenhal) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1966 |
| Opened | 14 October 1967 (outdoor) 17 November 1986 (indoor) |
| Renovated | 2001, 2004, 2015–16 |
| Architect | Alynia 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
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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.[5] 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.
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 |
| Single Distance | 1999, 2012, 2015 |
- 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) 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 | 1585 days |
| 1000 m | 1:07.09 |  Pavel Kulizhnikov | 12 January 2020 | 1641 days |
| 1500 m | 1:43.00 |  Kjeld Nuis | 8 March 2020 | 1585 days |
| 3000 m | 3:35.26 | Patrick Roest | 19 December 2020 | 1299 days |
| 5000 m | 6:04.36 | Patrick Roest | 19 November 2022 | 599 days |
| 10000 m | 12:32.95 |  Nils van der Poel | 14 February 2021 | 1242 days |
| Team sprint | 1:18.31 |  Poland | 6 January 2024 | 186 days |
| Team pursuit | 3:34.22 |  Norway | 5 January 2024 | 187 days |
| Women | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | Time | Skater | Date | Duration |
| 500 m | 37.02 | Angelina Golikova | 8 March 2020 | 1585 days |
| 1000 m | 1:12.80 | Jutta Leerdam | 28 December 2022 | 560 days |
| 1500 m | 1:52.95 | Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong | 28 December 2022 | 560 days |
| 3000 m | 3:54.04 | Irene Schouten | 20 November 2022 | 598 days |
| 5000 m | 6:41.25 | Irene Schouten | 5 March 2023 | 493 days |
| 10000 m | 14:35.61 | Carien Kleibeuker | 13 March 2018 | 2311 days |
| Team sprint | 1:26.17 | Russia | 10 January 2020 | 1643 days |
| Team pursuit | 2:54.12 | Netherlands | 9 January 2022 | 913 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 | |
| 12:32.95 | Nils van der Poel | 14-02-2021 | 11-02-2022 | |
| 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.
See also
References
External links
