Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion)

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (Finnish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952 Summer Olympics. It was built however to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were moved from Tokyo to Helsinki before being cancelled due to World War 2. The stadium was also the venue for the first World Athletics Championships in 1983 as well as for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. It is also the home stadium of the Finland national football team.

Construction of the Olympic Stadium began in 1934 and it was completed in 1938. The stadium was completely modernized in 1990-1994 and also renovated just before the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. Its spectator capacity was at its maximum during the 1952 Summer Olympics with over 70,000 spectator places. Nowadays the stadium has 40,000 spectator places.

The tower of the stadium, a distinct landmark with a height of 72 m, is open for visitors and offers impressive views over Helsinki.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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The Olympic Movement

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