Hamar stadion
Encyclopedia
Hamar stadion is a former athletics, speed skating
and bandy
stadium in Hamar
, Norway
. The home ground of Hamar IL
, it was owned by Hamar Municipality
. It has held seven international speed skating events: the European Speed Skating Championships
in 1934, 1948 and 1953, the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
in 1952 and 1985, and the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women
in 1980 and 1991. The stadium has held 13 Norwegian Championships and 11 world records have been set at the venue.
opened, Hamar stadion was one of several venues used for the football team Briskeby FL. Because the stadium lacked proper drainage, a new stadium was considered by the politicians at Kvitmyra. A committee was established by the municipal council in 1945, but it concluded that it was better to upgrade the existing stadium, as Hamar had been awarded the 1948 European Speed Skating Championships. The event was seen by 26,000 spectators. During the summer of 1948, grass was laid on the stadium. The stadium also received two change rooms. For a long time during winter, there were regular flood light practices for the public on Wednesdays and Sundays. The inner field was used for bandy, while the running track was used for speed skating.
The record attendance dates from 1952, when 30,000 people watches Hjalmar Andersen
set a new world record on the 10,000 meter: 16:32.6, which remained until the 1960 Winter Olympics
. The European Speed Skating Championships were held again in 1953
, and Dutchman Kees Broekmann characterized the venue as "the Mecca
of speed skating". This was in part because of the good quality of the ice. Alf Ingvaldsen was responsible for icing for thirty years from the mid-1940s, and created a vehicle which was able to spread warm water on the top of the surface to polish the ice. The venue has hosted the Norwegian Athletics Championships in 1959 and 1971.
With the opening of Vikingskipet, an indoor speed skating venue, in 1993 for the 1994 Winter Olympics
, Hamar stadion no longer was used for international and major speed skating tournaments. In 2007, the city sold the stadium to Sentrumsgården for 320 million Norwegian krone
. They will build a combined commercial, shopping and residential complex with 80000 square metres (95,679.2 sq yd) of real estate.
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
stadium in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , 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...
. The home ground of Hamar IL
Hamar IL
Hamar Idrettslag is a Norwegian sports club from Hamar. It has sections for bandy, curling, association football, athletics, sport shooting, rowing, speed skating, diving, swimming, tennis and gymnastics....
, it was owned by Hamar Municipality
Hamar Municipality
Hamar Municipality is the local government for Hamar, Norway. It is led by a 39-member municipal council led by Mayor Einar Busterud.Among the municipality's responsibilities, it the operation of nine primary and three lower secondary school, with a combined 3,115 pupils...
. It has held seven international speed skating events: the European Speed Skating Championships
European Speed Skating Championships
The 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...
in 1934, 1948 and 1953, the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men since 1893. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1889-1892.-History:-Distances used:...
in 1952 and 1985, and the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women
World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women
The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women since 1936. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1933-1935.-Distances used:...
in 1980 and 1991. The stadium has held 13 Norwegian Championships and 11 world records have been set at the venue.
History
In 1921, the stadium was leased to Oplandenes Turn- og Idrettspark. After maintenance was diminished and there broke out disagreement between the sports clubs about the use of the stadium, the municipality had to cancel the lease in 1928 and management was transferred to Hamar IL. Until 1936, when Briskeby gressbaneBriskeby gressbane
Briskeby gressbane or simply Briskeby is a football stadium in Hamar, Norway. It has been the home ground of the football club Hamarkameratene since 1936. The stadium's capacity is currently 8,068, of which 2,768 are seated....
opened, Hamar stadion was one of several venues used for the football team Briskeby FL. Because the stadium lacked proper drainage, a new stadium was considered by the politicians at Kvitmyra. A committee was established by the municipal council in 1945, but it concluded that it was better to upgrade the existing stadium, as Hamar had been awarded the 1948 European Speed Skating Championships. The event was seen by 26,000 spectators. During the summer of 1948, grass was laid on the stadium. The stadium also received two change rooms. For a long time during winter, there were regular flood light practices for the public on Wednesdays and Sundays. The inner field was used for bandy, while the running track was used for speed skating.
The record attendance dates from 1952, when 30,000 people watches Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar Andersen
Hjalmar "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...
set a new world record on the 10,000 meter: 16:32.6, which remained until the 1960 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics
At the 1960 Winter Olympics, eight speed skating events were contested. For the first time women were allowed to participated in the Olympic speed skating events. The competitions were held from Saturday, February 20 to Tuesday, February 23, 1960 and from Wednesday, February 24 to Saturday,...
. The European Speed Skating Championships were held again in 1953
European Speed Skating Championships
The 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...
, and Dutchman Kees Broekmann characterized the venue as "the Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
of speed skating". This was in part because of the good quality of the ice. Alf Ingvaldsen was responsible for icing for thirty years from the mid-1940s, and created a vehicle which was able to spread warm water on the top of the surface to polish the ice. The venue has hosted the Norwegian Athletics Championships in 1959 and 1971.
With the opening of Vikingskipet, an indoor speed skating venue, in 1993 for the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, Hamar stadion no longer was used for international and major speed skating tournaments. In 2007, the city sold the stadium to Sentrumsgården for 320 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
. They will build a combined commercial, shopping and residential complex with 80000 square metres (95,679.2 sq yd) of real estate.