The new Bislett Stadium, Oslo in June 2005 (© c)
Oslo, NorwayShortly after 7pm on the 29th of July , the Mayor of Oslo will open the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games - TDK Golden League - at the new Bislett Stadium in the presence of amongst others , His Majesty King Harald of Norway, Her Majesty Queen Sonia, and the President of the IAAF, Lamine Diack.
This ceremony will usher in a new chapter in the story of the Bislett Stadium, a history which has been intertwined with excellence in our sport for the best part of the 20th century.
Déjà-vu
As you walk into the new stadium the first thing that strikes you is the feeling that you have definitely been here before. The City of Oslo, the architects & the Bislett Alliansen have developed a thoroughly modern facility that manages to retain all the character & charm that symbolized the old Bislett stadium.You can almost feel the crowd roaring it’s support of Heino, Zatopek, Kristiansen, Waitz, Coe, Walker, Cram… and so many other legends of the track.
Gone is the quaint 6 lane track (with it’s 62 World records), that was so much a part of Bislett folklore, and in its place is a “state of the art” 8 lane “Championship” capable track. The new stadium is now an all seat facility, and features many new comforts for spectators, media & athletes alike.
Javelin dream field
One thing that is certain is that the charisma and enthusiasm of the Bislett crowd will return to the new stadium, offering fans & competitors that unique “Bislett Experience”, especially for Norway’s Olympic Javelin champion Andreas Thorkildsen, the IAAF World Ranked number one for the event .
A field of the strongest contenders for the World Championships in Helsinki await the 23-year-old Thorkildsen.
Sergey Makarov (Russia), the reigning World Champion, Olympic bronze medallist, and World Ranked number two, the Olympic silver medallist from Latvia, Vadims Vasilevskis, Finn Tero Pitkämäki, who is the longest thrower for the summer and sixth all-time, and World Ranked third, as well as Andrus Värnik of Estonia, the World Championship silver medallist from 2003.
So this field boasts the full medal podium from last year’s Olympic Games; the IAAF World Ranked top three; two medallists from the 2003 World Championships; two competitors with PB’s over 90m (Makarov and Pitkämäki) and of course this year's world leader. This will be a home coming to remember for the young Olympic champion.
The Exxon Mobil Bislett Games returns to its new Oslo home after a one year in Bergen, a venue that produced yet another World Record for the Bislett Games (women's 5000m). As already exemplified by the Javelin alone, the confirmed fields will be at the highest level, something that is truly synonymous with the Bislett Games over the years.
Maurie Plant for the IAAF