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Thialf

Ice rink in Heerenveen, the Netherlands

Thialf

Ice rink in Heerenveen, the Netherlands

FieldValue
nameThialf
logo_imageTHIALF Logo 2016.jpg
imageThialf ijsbaan.jpg
locationPim Mulierlaan 1
Heerenveen, Netherlands
coordinates
broke_ground1966
opened14 October 1967 (outdoor)
17 November 1986 (indoor)
renovated2001, 2004, 2015–16
ownerEssent, Aegon, and the city of Heerenveen
surface15,000 m2 (Hal 1)
1800 m2 (Hal 2)
architectAlynia Architecten Harlingen bv
capacity12,500 seats
tenantsUNIS Flyers (Ice hockey venue)

Heerenveen, Netherlands 17 November 1986 (indoor) 1800 m2 (Hal 2)

Thialf () is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Thialf is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, ice speedway, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Long track speed skating

Events

; Dutch championships

Disciplinein:
Allround
Sprint
Single Distance

: * Dutch allround 1968: only for women. : * Dutch sprint: 1969, 1973, 1979, 1982: only for men.

; European championships

Disciplinein:
Allround

; World championships

Disciplinein:
Allround
Sprint
Single Distance

; World Cup

Disciplinein:
World Cup

Track records

These are the current track records in Thialf.

MenDistanceTimeSkaterDateDuration
500 m33.90USA Jordan Stolz7 December 2025days
1000 m1:06.38USA Jordan Stolz6 December 2025days
1500 m1:42.55USA Jordan Stolz5 December 2025days
3000 m3:34.09CZE Metoděj Jílek16 September 2025days
5000 m6:04.36NED Patrick Roest19 November 2022days
10000 m12:29.63CZE Metoděj Jílek6 December 2025days
Team sprint1:18.316 January 2024days
Team pursuit3:34.225 January 2024days
WomenDistanceTimeSkaterDateDuration
500 m36.87NED Femke Kok28 December 2025days
1000 m1:12.80NED Jutta Leerdam28 December 2022days
1500 m1:52.69NED Femke Kok4 October 2025days
3000 m3:54.04NED Irene Schouten20 November 2022days
5000 m6:41.25NED Irene Schouten5 March 2023days
10000 m14:35.61NED Carien Kleibeuker13 March 2018days
Team sprint1:26.1710 January 2020days
Team pursuit2:54.129 January 2022days

World records

The following world records were set in Thialf.

MenDistanceTimeSkaterDatesSetBroken
500 m36.55USA Nick Thometz19-03-198714-02-1988
1000 m1:12.58URS Igor Zhelezovski25-02-198917-12-1993
1500 m1:52.70URS Nikolay Gulyayev15-02-198705-12-1987
1:48.88NED Rintje Ritsma20-12-199712-02-1998
3000 m3:59.27NED Leo Visser19-03-198713-03-1990
3:57.52NOR Johann Olav Koss13-03-199003-04-1992
3:52.67NED Jelmer Beulenkamp25-02-199821-03-1998
5000 m6:47.01NED Leo Visser14-02-198722-11-1987
6:45.44NOR Geir Karlstad22-11-198704-12-1987
6:41.73NOR Johann Olav Koss09-02-199122-01-1993
6:38.77NOR Johann Olav Koss22-01-199313-03-1993
6:36.57NOR Johann Olav Koss13-03-199304-12-1993
6:30.63NED Gianni Romme07-12-199708-02-1998
10000 m14:03.92NOR Geir Karlstad15-02-198706-12-1987
13:43.54NOR Johann Olav Koss10-02-199120-02-1994
13:03.40NED Gianni Romme26-11-200020-02-2002
12:57.92NED Carl Verheijen04-12-200531-12-2005
12:49.88NED Sven Kramer11-02-200710-03-2007
12:32.95SWE Nils van der Poel14-02-202111-02-2022
WomenDistanceTimeSkaterDatesSetBroken
500 m39.43USA Bonnie Blair19-03-198706-12-1987
3000 m4:16.85NED Yvonne van Gennip19-03-198705-12-1987
4:07.80GER Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann07-12-199713-12-1997
4:05.08GER Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann14-03-199827-03-1998
5000 m7:40.97DDR Andrea Schöne23-01-198315-01-1984
7:20.36NED Yvonne van Gennip20-03-198728-02-1988
6:55.34GER Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann25-11-200010-03-2001

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.

As of April 2025, it was considered whether to host the 2030 Winter Olympics long-track speed skating events in Thialf. If this was to become the case, it would be the first Olympic events held in The Netherlands in 102 years.

References

References

  1. [http://www.thialf.nl/ Thialf], Thialf. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. "FIM Ice Speedway World Championship | FIM".
  3. "Historie". Thialf.
  4. "Wereldrecords". Thialf.
  5. (12 May 2016). "Second phase renovation Thialf". Zwart & Jansma Architects.
  6. "Thialf's new ice rink: sustainable, fast and 'super-right'". [[Priva BV.
  7. (1 April 2025). "Franse organisatie Winterspelen 2030 brengt bezoek aan Thialf: 'Kans reëel'". [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting.
  8. (10 July 2024). "Thialf is volgens Friese politiek nog steeds in beeld voor Olympische Spelen 2030". [[Omrop Fryslan]].
  9. (28 May 2024). "Thialf opnieuw kandidaat voor olympisch schaatstoernooi 2030". [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting.
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