Berlin Olympic Stadium - Most Impressive Ever!

Brought to you by Edward Ovadia who is in Berlin with official IAAF accreditation covering the championships for Runnerstribe.com

The Berlin Olympic Stadium is by far the most impressive I've ever seen.

Everyone knows the story - it's the stadium where the 1936 Olympics were held under Hitler's watchful eye; and where African American athlete Jesse Owens dominated, much to Hitler's distaste. The question of whether Hitler refused to shake Owens' hand or not continues...

But the history aside, it's simply stunning. Being out of the city, it avoided the Allied bombing during World War II, and the original stone stadium remains standing. It was redone for the World Cup, but they cleverly kept much of the original stone where possible, and they have integrated the new and the old brilliantly.

Walking up to the stadium, you're greeted by huge stone pillars, and brick work surrounding the stadium. The steps, much of the stands, and the everything apart from the seats are made of the original stone, in a fashion very reminiscent of the Colosseum.

Then there's the blue track. Sometimes it's nice to be different, and blue suits the stadium so much better than the pale orange we're used to. Sitting next to the green grass just makes it even better, and there's no doubt the colours will make fantastic television.

It's what makes this stadium unique and so different to the others that makes it special. The history, but also the aesthetics make it an inspiring place to be, as an athlete or as a spectator.

 

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