Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in
OsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here. The stadium was demolished in 2004 and construction of a new stadium was completed by the summer of 2005.
In 1999, the American sports magazine
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
declared that the old Bislett Stadium was one of the top 20 sports venues of the 20th century.
History
Bislett Stadium lies on the site of a 19th century brick works, which was bought by the Municipality of Kristiania (Oslo) in 1898, and turned into a sports field in 1908. The merchant, speed skater, gymnast and sports organizer Martinus Lørdahl was instrumental in facilitating the construction of the first bleachers, begun in 1917 and completed in 1922 along with the new club house. One of the squares outside the stadium is named Martinus Lørdahl's Square, in his honour. Bislett became Norway's main arena for speed skating and track and field in 1940 when the architect
Frode RinnanFrode Rinnan was a Norwegian architect and politician for the Labour Party.-Early career:He was born in Trondhjem as a son of ship inspector Carl Julius Rinnan and his wife Thonny Nielsen...
's new
functionalisticFunctionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
stadium was completed, with a capacity of 20,000. Rinnan was also responsible for the renovation of the stadium for the
1952 Winter Olympic GamesThe 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
in Oslo. At those games, the stadium hosted some of the
figure skatingAt the 1952 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. Compulsory figures were skated at the outdoor Jordal Amfi rink, while the free skating portions of the competition were held at the huge Bislett Stadion, on a regulation-sized ice surface set inside the speed skating track...
and the
speed skatingAt the 1952 Winter Olympics, four speed skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Saturday, February 16 to Tuesday, February 19, 1952.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:Seven speed skaters competed in all four events....
events. Bislett has hosted the
Bislett GamesThe Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
since 1965, an annual track and field event in the
IAAF Golden LeagueThe IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
(from 2010: the
IAAF Diamond LeagueThe Samsung Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings held from 2010 onwards, beginning with the 2010 IAAF Diamond League...
). The venue hosted the Norwegian Athletics Championships 18 times, in 1926–29, 1931–36, 1938–39, 1947, 1949, 1951–52, 1955 and 2006.
New stadium
Bislett's career as a speed skating venue ended in 1988, when it was decided that ice production would discontinue, even though the stadium did not meet international requirements for any other sport. The stadium was quickly becoming run down and even dangerous, but it would take more than decade of debate and at times harsh bickering before the city council decided that Bislett was to be demolished and rebuilt. Especially the matter of whether or not Bislett would continue to host speed skating events provided tensions between the various parties involved, leaving nostalgics bitterly disappointed when it turned out not to be so. Speed skating has increasingly become an indoor sport and providing the famous record breaking ice would no longer be possible if the stadium was to be optimized for athletics and football. The old Bislett was appreciated for its architecture and its atmosphere, not to mention its illustrious record history, and it was perhaps then a fitting gesture that the new stadium was built in record breaking time – construction lasted only ten months. The new stadium designed by Danish architecture practice
Arkitektfirmaet C. F. MøllerArkitektfirmaet C. F. Møller, internationally also known as C. F. Møller Architects, is an architectural firm based in Århus, Denmark. Founded in 1924 by C. F. Møller, it is today the largest architectural firm in Denmark based on number of employed architects. About half the revenue is earned...
was inaugurated with the Bislett Games on July 29, 2005.
The New Bislett Stadium meets international requirements for track and field events. The running track now has eight lanes with a 37,5 m
turning radiusThe turning radius or turning circle of a vehicle is the size of the smallest circular turn that the vehicle is capable of making. The term turning radius is actually a misnomer, since the size of a circle is actually its diameter, not its radius. The less ambiguous term turning circle is preferred...
(the previous stadium only had six lanes, forcing the Bislett Games organizers to install temporary lanes on the long stretch for the 100 m event). The track has received a 1st class certification by the IAAF, shared by only a handful other stadiums in Northern Europe. In addition, there is an indoor running track beneath the stands for warming up and for indoor workouts during the winter, and the construction of an underground sports hall is under consideration. The new turning radius has provided space for a 105 x 68 m football pitch, and the stadium currently meets national requirements for hosting football matches in the
Norwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
.
Speed skating
The
World Speed Skating ChampionshipsThe International Skating Union organises the following World Championships in the sport of speed skating:* Allround** Men's Allround** Women's Allround* Sprint** Men's Sprint** Women's Sprint* Men's Single Distances* Women's Single Distances* Short Track...
were held at Bislett for the first time in 1925, but it was not until 1940 that Bislett became the main venue for speed skating in Oslo. Since then one unofficial World Championship event right before the start of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and 11 more official World Championships have been held here, from 1947 to 1983. Bislett has also hosted ten
European ChampionshipsThe European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The...
, with the last one being held in 1986. Norwegian speed skaters
Hjalmar AndersenHjalmar "Hjallis" Johan Andersen is a former speed skater from Norway who won three gold medals at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games of Oslo, Norway. He was the only triple gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and as such, became the most successful athlete there.-Short biography:Hjalmar...
,
Knut JohannesenKnut Johannesen is a former speed skater from Norway.-Biography:Born in Oslo and representing the skating club ASK there, Johannesen won the World Allround Championships in 1957 and 1964, the European Allround Championships in 1959 and 1960, and won the Norwegian...
,
Fred Anton MaierFred Anton Maier is a former speed skater from Norway. He was among the dominating skaters throughout the 1960s, specalising in the longer distances....
and
Kay StenshjemmetKay Arne Stenshjemmet is a former speed skater from Norway. He was born in Lillestrøm.-Short biography:Together with Amund Sjøbrend, Sten Stensen, and Jan Egil Storholt, Kay Stenshjemmet was one of the legendary four S-es , four Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s.During the 1976...
have all become European Champions at Bislett.
The largest speed skating event at Bislett was that of the 1952 Olympics. Hjalmar Andersen won three gold medals.
Despite its low-lying altitude, Bislett was on many occasions able to provide ice of a high quality, resulting in ten single distance world records and five overall world records. In 1963, Knut Johannesen broke
Boris ShilkovBoris Arsenevich Shilkov is a former speed skater.- Short biography :Competing for the Soviet Union, Boris Shilkov lived in Leningrad , where he worked as an engineer...
's eight year old 5000 m world record from
MedeoThe Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world...
, with the time 7:37.8.
Jonny NilssonErling Martin Jonny Nilsson is a former speed skater from Sweden.-Biography:He was born in Göteborg. Sixty Five days before his 20th birthday, Jonny Nilsson made his international debut at the European Allround Championships in 1962, finishing 15th...
improved the record by around four seconds during the World Championships in 1965. Fred Anton Maier was able to set a 10000 m world record here twice, in 1966 and in 1968. Bislett has seen an additional two 10000 m records, and both times the record was snatched back from Medeo.
Sten StensenSten Einar Stensen is a former speed skater.-Short biography:Together with Amund Sjøbrend, Kay Stenshjemmet, and Jan Egil Storholt, Sten Stensen was one of the legendary four S-es , contemporary Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s...
set a time of 14:50.31 during the European Championships in 1976.
Tomas GustafsonSven Tomas Gustafson is a retired speed skater, and one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm, Sweden.-Early career:...
's 14:23.59 from 1982 was Bislett's final speed skating world record.
The European Championships in 1986 proved to be the last major speed skating event at Bislett, as ice production was halted two years later.
Football
Football has been played at Bislett since the early days of the sports field, and the first international game was played here in 1913, between
NorwayThe Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
and
SwedenThe Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
. At this time there were no bleachers, but the match still drew a crowd of 10,000. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.
Bislett was
Vålerenga I.F.Vålerenga Fotball is a Norwegian association football club from Oslo and a part of the multi-sport club Vålerengens IF. Founded in 1913, the club is named after the neighbourhood of Vålerenga...
's home ground for 55 seasons. The club's attendance record was set here in 1962 and was not beaten until 2004. The club won its first four league championships while playing at Bislett, which earned the nickname "Leikegrinda" (
The playground). After years of neglect by the authorities the stadium was in such bad shape that from the middle of the 90s Vålerenga were no longer allowed to play there. After a spell at
Ullevaal StadiumUllevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the...
the club moved back to Bislett, if only for a short time, and it is unlikely that they will ever return. Vålerenga have played their home matches at Ullevaal since 1999.
After the new stadium was completed interest in playing football there on a top level has been mediocre. Both Vålerenga and rivals FK Lyn have been offered to play their home matches there free of charge, but both teams were reluctant to play at what is now primarily a track and field stadium. The stadium is considered to be very intimate for track and field events, but not necessarily for football. Spectators are seated far back from the pitch and due to the stadium's shape half the seats are located at the ends of the pitch. The main stand does not have a permanent roof and of the 15,400 capacity only 3,000 seats are covered. Lyn was the last team to reject a deal with the municipality over Bislett, in 2005, and instead they continued to play at Ullevaal, their home ground for the past 80 years. After several years of financial troubles, Lyn finally accepted an offer to play at Bislett in 2010, but ultimately declared bankruptcy during the season, resigned from the Norwegian league, and were liquidated shortly thereafter.
Although the two top teams in Oslo have declined to use Bislett as their home ground they have still shown some interest in playing there during the winter, in the Scandinavian club tournament known as
Royal LeagueThe Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies , starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and Sweden. Denmark, however, are in mid-season when the tournament starts...
. In addition, the
1st divisionThe Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
(second level in the Norwegian pyramid) club Manglerud Star Oslo played their home games here in the 2006 season, before being relegated to the 2nd division. In 2007 it became the home ground of
SkeidSkeid Fotball is a Norwegian football club and is located in the capital Oslo. Its current home field is Bislett. In past decades it has gained a reputation as a talent factory for the larger clubs in Norwegian football, and it has produced several players for the national team such as Daniel...
, promoted back to the 1st division after one season in the 2nd division, their ground at Voldsløkka not being up to standards for 1st division play. Although Skeld were relegated back to the 2nd division after the 2009 season, they still use Bislett as their home ground.
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