Olympic Stadium (Wrocław)
The Olympic Stadium (Polish: Stadion Olimpijski) is a multi-purpose stadium in Wrocław, Poland. It was built from 1926 to 1928 as Schlesierkampfbahn (English: Silesian Arena) according to a design by Richard Konwiarz, when the city of Wrocław (then Breslau) was still part of Germany. It is used mostly for American football—home of the Panthers Wrocław and speedway racing, it also serves as the home stadium of Sparta Wrocław.
 | |
| Full name | Olympic Stadium in Wrocław |
|---|---|
| Former names | Schlesierkampfbahn |
| Location | Wrocław, Poland |
| Coordinates | 51°7′10″N 17°5′48″E |
| Owner | City of Wrocław |
| Capacity | 11,000[1] |
| Surface | Grass (football) Shale (speedway) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1926–1928 |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Renovated | 1935–1939 |
| Architect | Richard Konwiarz |
| Tenants | |
Panthers Wrocław (Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego) | |
The stadium has a capacity now of 11,000 people and was supposed to be one of the main pitches on UEFA Euro 2012. The newly constructed Stadion Miejski was used for that event instead.
History
The stadium was built as centre of a larger sports complex in the city district of Leerbeutel (now Zalesie), again extended from 1935 to 1939 and renamed Hermann–Göring–Stadion under the Nazi authorities. On 16 May 1937, it was the site of the legendary Breslau Eleven football match, when the Germany national football team defeated Denmark 8–0. Despite its current Polish name, the arena has never been an Olympic Games site (in particular, for the 1936 Summer Olympics); however the builder Richard Konwiarz achieved a bronze medal in the art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for his architectural design.
Heavily devastated during the Siege of Breslau in World War II, the stadium was rebuilt by the Polish municipal administration and named after General Karol Świerczewski. From the 1970s it was used by the Wrocław University School of Physical Education and comprehensively modernized with floodlights and an undersoil heating. The Wrocław city administration assumed ownership in 2006 and had the speedway racing track rebuilt, whereafter the smaller football pitch no longer meets the requirements of UEFA stadium categories.
The speedway track is 387 metres (423 yd) in length.
Past events
The stadium has hosted the Speedway Grand Prix of Poland in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000. It also was a venue of the Speedway Grand Prix of Europe in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. The stadium has hosted american football competition and motorcycle speedway competition at 2017 World Games.
Speedway World Finals
Individual World Championship
- 1970 –
- 1992 –
World Pairs Championship
- 1975 –
World Team Cup
- 1961 –
- 1966 –
- 1971 –
- 1977 –
- 1980 –
* The Great Britain Speedway Team contained riders from the Commonwealth nations until the early 1970s. Mauger, Briggs and Moore were from New Zealand, Airey from Australia and Wilson from England.
Speedway World Cup
- 2001 –
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- 2005 –
Speedway Grand Prix
- 1995 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland –
- 1996 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland –
- 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland –
- 1999 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland –
- 2004 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe –
- 2005 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe –
- 2006 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe –
- 2007 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe –
See also
External links
- Stadion Olimpijski at arenysportowe.eu (in Polish)