 Frogner stadion, February 2010. | |
 | |
| Full name | Frogner stadion |
|---|---|
| Location | Middelthunsgate 28 Oslo, Norway |
| Owner | City ofOslo |
| Capacity | 4,200 |
| Surface | Skating / artificial turf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 10 January 1914 |
| Renovated | 2010 |
| Tenants | |
| Frigg Oslo FK Frigg Bandy Oslo Vikings Lyn Fotball Oslo SK | |
Frogner stadion is a sportsstadium inOslo,Norway, which has artificial ice in the winter forspeed skating andbandy. The artificial grass is used in the summer for soccer and American football. It is located close to theFrogner Park, between the park andMajorstuen. One match,Norway-Belarus, was played here at the2013 Bandy World Championship.[1]
It opened in 1901, and was built by the speed skating clubKristiania Skøiteklub.[2] In 1914, the stadium was moved to its current position, due to the1914 Jubilee Exhibition. At the inaugural race in 1914, twospeed skating world records were set byOscar Mathisen, in 500 m and 1,500 m.[3] In 1928, Oslo Municipality took over responsibility for the stadium.[2]
Frogner stadion was one of the most important ice skating venues in Norway until 1940. A long series of championships were held at Frogner stadion, both infigure skating and inspeed skating.[3] A total of 23 speed skating world records have been set at the stadium (including some not officially listed).[3] Seventeen of the records from Frogner are listed among the official ISU world records in speed skating.[4]
Outside the stadium are statues ofOscar Mathisen andSonja Henie.[2]
Frogner stadion has been the venue for international matches both infootball andbandy, as well as internationaltrack and field athletics competitions.[3] The venue hosted the Norwegian Athletics Championships in 1906, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1922 and 1924.[5]
In 1985 and 1989, the stadium was used formotorcycle speedway[6] and held the final of theNorwegian Individual Speedway Championship.[7]
In 2010, the stadium became the home field of theOslo Vikings.
In 1911,Nikolay Strunnikov skated the 5,000 m distance in a world record time of 8:37.2. This record was originally not approved by ISU, but is now listed among the world records.[4] Oscar Mathisen set two records on 17 and 18 February 1912. The 500 m time was 44.2, while the 10,000 m record was 17:46.3. He improved his own record twice in 1913, first inTrondhjem and later at Frogner, and the new record was 17:22.6.[4]
Oscar Mathisen set two world records at the opening of the new stadium on 10 January 1914. The time was 43.7 over 500 m and 2:19.4 over 1,500 m. In 1916, Oscar Mathisen set a world record over 5,000 m, with the time 8:36.3. In 1921,Harald Strøm set the record 8:27.7, and in 1922 he improved his own record to 8:26.5, both at Frogner stadion.[4] Strøm's 5,000 m record from 1922 lasted seven years, the longest lasting of all world records set at Frogner, until it was beaten byIvar Ballangrud inDavos in 1929.[3][4]
In 1932,Clas Thunberg skated the 1,000 m distance in 1:27.4, better than the world record, but this time is not registered as an official record. In 1936,Allan Potts set a world record over 500 m, with the time 42.4, improving onHans Engnestangen's time from Davos three years earlier. This record lasted only 12 days, when Engnestangen set another world record in Davos. Ivar Ballangrud set a world record at Frogner over 5,000 m in 1936, with the time 8:17.2, and this record lasted five years.[4]
Several records from Frogner stadion from the 1930s are not listed as official world records. Those that are listed areSynnøve Lie's 50.3 over 500 m in 1934, andLaila Schou Nilsen's 49.3 in 1935.Verné Lesche set a world record over 1,000 m in 1934, with 1:45.7. For the 1,500 m distance, three world records set at Frogner stadium are listed: Synnøve Lie's 3:08.1 in 1932,Undis Blikken's 2:40.0 in 1934, and Laila Schou Nilsen's 2:38.1 in 1937.[4]
The stadium is served by a nearbylight rail station on theFrogner Line; the station is named Frogner stadion. The station is served by line 12, which uses high-floorSL79 Trams.
| Preceding station |  Trams in Oslo | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majorstuen Terminus | Line 12 | Vigelandsparken towardsKjelsås | ||
