Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a23fd5840af0f4e0

Jump to content

Thialf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thialf
Map
Interactive map of Thialf
LocationPim Mulierlaan 1[1]
Heerenveen, Netherlands
Coordinates52°56′19″N 5°56′31″E / 52.9386°N 5.94201°E / 52.9386; 5.94201
OwnerEssent, Aegon, and the city of Heerenveen
Capacity12,500 seats
Surface15,000 m2 (Hal 1)
1800 m2 (Hal 2)
Construction
Groundbreaking1966
Opened14 October 1967 (outdoor)
17 November 1986 (indoor)
Renovated2001, 2004, 2015–16
ArchitectAlynia Architecten Harlingen bv
Tenants
UNIS Flyers (Ice hockey venue)

Thialf (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtijɑlf]) 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,[2] 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]

Annually, Thialf hosts two Speed Skating World Cup events. Jan de Jong was the ice rink master at Thialf for many years. Thialf will host the speed skating competition during the 2030 Winter Olympics.[3]

History

[edit]
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.[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.

The stadium was renovated in 2016.[6][7]

2030 Winter Olympics

[edit]

In April 2025, the organizing committee for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps started to consider having long track speed skating in Thialf.[8][9][10] The organizing committee determined that it was not economical to develop a new or temporary speed skating venue in France for the games and instead looked for an existing venue elsewhere. In June 2026, Thialf was confirmed as the speed skating venue, making the 2026 games the first Winter Olympics (and the fourth overall, after 1920, 1956, and 2008) to have events that would be hosted outside of the host country. It will be the first Olympic events held in The Netherlands in 102 years, following the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.[11][12]

Long track speed skating

[edit]

Events

[edit]
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, 2017, 2021, 2025
Sprint2017, 2021, 2025
Single Distance2020, 2022, 2024
World championships
Disciplinein:
AllroundMen: 1976, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1991
Women: 1972, 1974, 1992
M+W: 1998, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2026
Sprint1985, 1989, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2026
Single Distance1999, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2023
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
2015–16: WC4 + WC6 (final)

Track records

[edit]

These are the current track records in Thialf.

Men
Distance Time Skater Date Duration
500 m 33.78 Netherlands Jenning de Boo 5 March 2026 148 days
1000 m 1:06.38 United States Jordan Stolz 6 December 2025 237 days
1500 m 1:42.55 United States Jordan Stolz 5 December 2025 238 days
3000 m 3:34.09 Czech Republic Metoděj Jílek 16 September 2025 318 days
5000 m 6:01.61 Norway Sander Eitrem 7 March 2026 146 days
10000 m 12:29.63 Czech Republic Metoděj Jílek 6 December 2025 237 days
Team sprint 1:18.31  Poland 6 January 2024 937 days
Team pursuit 3:34.22  Norway 5 January 2024 938 days
Women
Distance Time Skater Date Duration
500 m 36.67 Netherlands Femke Kok 5 March 2026 148 days
1000 m 1:12.80 Netherlands Jutta Leerdam 28 December 2022 1311 days
1500 m 1:52.69 Netherlands Femke Kok 4 October 2025 300 days
3000 m 3:54.04 Netherlands Irene Schouten 20 November 2022 1349 days
5000 m 6:41.25 Netherlands Irene Schouten 5 March 2023 1244 days
10000 m 14:35.61 Netherlands Carien Kleibeuker 13 March 2018 3062 days
Team sprint 1:26.17  Russia 10 January 2020 2394 days
Team pursuit 2:54.12  Netherlands 9 January 2022 1664 days

World records

[edit]

The following world records were set in Thialf.

Men
Distance Time Skater Dates
Set Broken
500 m 36.55 United States Nick Thometz 19–03–1987 14–02–1988
1000 m 1:12.58 Soviet Union Igor Zhelezovski 25–02–1989 17–12–1993
1500 m 1:52.70 Soviet Union Nikolay Gulyayev 15–02–1987 05–12–1987
1:48.88 Netherlands Rintje Ritsma 20–12–1997 12–02–1998
3000 m 3:59.27 Netherlands Leo Visser 19–03–1987 13–03–1990
3:57.52 Norway Johann Olav Koss 13–03–1990 03–04–1992
3:52.67 Netherlands Jelmer Beulenkamp 25–02–1998 21–03–1998
5000 m 6:47.01 Netherlands Leo Visser 14–02–1987 22–11–1987
6:45.44 Norway Geir Karlstad 22–11–1987 04–12–1987
6:41.73 Norway Johann Olav Koss 09–02–1991 22–01–1993
6:38.77 Norway Johann Olav Koss 22–01–1993 13–03–1993
6:36.57 Norway Johann Olav Koss 13–03–1993 04–12–1993
6:30.63 Netherlands Gianni Romme 07–12–1997 08–02–1998
10000 m 14:03.92 Norway Geir Karlstad 15–02–1987 06–12–1987
13:43.54 Norway Johann Olav Koss 10–02–1991 20–02–1994
13:03.40 Netherlands Gianni Romme 26–11–2000 20–02–2002
12:57.92 Netherlands Carl Verheijen 04–12–2005 31–12–2005
12:49.88 Netherlands Sven Kramer 11–02–2007 10–03–2007
12:32.95 Sweden Nils van der Poel 14–02–2021 11–02–2022
Women
Distance Time Skater Dates
Set Broken
500 m 39.43 United States Bonnie Blair 19–03–1987 06–12–1987
3000 m 4:16.85 Netherlands Yvonne van Gennip 19–03–1987 05–12–1987
4:07.80 Germany Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann 07–12–1997 13–12–1997
4:05.08 Germany Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann 14–03–1998 27–03–1998
5000 m 7:40.97 East Germany Andrea Schöne 23–01–1983 15–01–1984
7:20.36 Netherlands Yvonne van Gennip 20–03–1987 28–02–1988
6:55.34 Germany Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann 25–11–2000 10–03–2001

Other events

[edit]

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 Miss Universe competition was held in Thialf several times.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Thialf, Thialf. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "FIM Ice Speedway World Championship | FIM".
  3. ↑ Thialf in Heerenveen confirmed as speed skating venue for 2030 Winter Olympics
  4. ↑ "Historie" (in Dutch). Thialf. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Wereldrecords". Thialf.nl. Thialf. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024. Cite error: Unknown parameter "<ref" in <ref> tag; supported parameters are dir, follow, group, name (see the help page).
  6. ↑ "Second phase renovation Thialf". Zwart & Jansma Architects. 12 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Thialf's new ice rink: sustainable, fast and 'super-right'". Priva.
  8. ↑ "Franse organisatie Winterspelen 2030 brengt bezoek aan Thialf: 'Kans reëel'" [French Winter Games 2030 organization visits Thialf: 'Real chance']. NOS (in Dutch). 1 April 2025. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025.
  9. ↑ "Thialf is volgens Friese politiek nog steeds in beeld voor Olympische Spelen 2030" [According to Frisian politicians, Thialf is still in the picture for the 2030 Olympic Games]. Omrop Fryslan (in Dutch). 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Thialf opnieuw kandidaat voor olympisch schaatstoernooi 2030" [Thialf once again a candidate for the 2030 Olympic speed skating tournament]. NOS (in Dutch). 28 May 2024. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Thialf in Heerenveen confirmed as speed skating venue for 2030 Winter Olympics
  12. ↑ "Olympisch schaatstoernooi 2030 in Thialf steeds dichterbij: rol Turijn lijkt uitgespeeld" [2030 Olympic speed skating tournament in Thialf getting closer: Turin's role seems played out]. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch). 11 May 2025.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thialf&oldid=1363818849"