Icahn Stadium
Encyclopedia
Randall's Island
Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and is one of only four Class 1 internationally certified tracks in the United States.
Overview
The Stadium offers an extremely fast 400-meter Mondo Super X Performance running track, flanked by covered spectator seating for 5,000 and features modern locker rooms, showers as well as fitness, exercise and meeting rooms. In addition, a premier FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
certified soccer field
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
to the north of the Stadium has been built with an artificial surface, fencing, lighting and bleachers. Icahn Stadium opened on April 23, 2005 and is named after American businessman Carl Icahn
Carl Icahn
Carl Celian Icahn is an American business magnate and investor.-Biography:Icahn was raised in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York City, where he attended Far Rockaway High School. His father was a cantor, his mother was a schoolteacher...
.
Icahn Stadium sits on the site of the former Downing Stadium
Downing Stadium
Downing Stadium, previously known as Triborough Stadium and Randall's Island Stadium, was a 22,000-seat stadium in New York City. It was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 after John J...
, opened in 1936 as part of a larger New York City Parks
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
project which included the construction of the Triborough Bridge (now the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge). The opening of Downing Stadium made history as the facility hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials, at which Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
qualified for two events in the upcoming Berlin Olympics. The site went on to be home to the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
soccer team, various sporting events and summer concerts. The stadium lights, which were taken from Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
after it was torn down, were left in place to light the new field.
The stadium seats are partially sheltered by a cantilevered roof supported by cables anchored in the ground and running over the tops of the two lighting towers. This design allows for unobstructed views from any seat in the stadium because columns are unnecessary except at the back wall. The lighting towers are reminiscent of a pair of rocket ships and help give the stadium its unusual look. Icahn Stadium was designed by Zurita Architects of New York City and engineered by Geiger Engineers
Geiger Engineers
Geiger Engineers is a structural engineering consulting firm located northwest of New York City. Founded in 1988 by the late David H. Geiger , the company has worked on large projects throughout the world...
of Suffern, NY.
After two years of operation, Icahn Stadium hosted more than 200,000 high school, college and professional athletes and spectators during the track season. Each year, the number of meets and events that are scheduled has grown, bringing larger numbers of people to the facility.
Run by the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation (RISF), Icahn Stadium serves the residents of New York City and beyond. RISF was founded in 1992 as a public-private partnership to work on behalf of Randall’s Island Park. The Foundation, in conjunction with City leadership and the local community, works to realize the Island’s unique potential by developing sports and recreational facilities, restoring its vast natural environment, reclaiming and maintaining parkland, and sponsoring community-linked programs for the children of New York City runs free youth sports programs that bring over 14,000 under-resourced public school children from Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
to the island annually.
Icahn Stadium was incorporated as a training center into the New York City bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Notable events
- On May 31, 2008, Jamaican sprinter Usain BoltUsain BoltThe Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
set the then world record in the 100m100 metresThe 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
on the Icahn Stadium track with a time of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand PrixReebok Grand PrixThe Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
, .02 seconds faster than the previous record held by his countryman, Asafa PowellAsafa PowellAsafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
.