Photos by: Dino Colli,
Diego Gaspari, Antonio Colli, Stefano Zardini, Luigi Alverà, archivio G.I.S.
Bookings soccer/athletic ground and
information c/o GIS Office:
Via dello Stadio, 1 - tel +39 0436 881811
E-mail:giscortina@dolomiti.org
SPORTS GROUND "Antonella De Rigo"
At present, the Sports Centre A. De Rigo has a well kept football ground, a 400m-long course for track and field with 6 lanes in synthetic surface, a springboard for high-jump, pole-vault, long-jump, and hop step and jump, hurdles for the fast disciplines and 3000m hurdles, base and guards for discus-throwing, hammer-throwing, and shot-putting and all the equipment required by these disciplines.
It is the site for football matches, track and field events, and finish line for cross-country races and mountain walking races. During the winter season it is the seat of Centro Fondo Fiames (Cross-country ski Centre) and is therefore the starting point and the finish of the cross-country ski tracks. For many years the "finish line" of the Dobbiaco-Cortina race was located here.
Besides the sports ground, surrounded by protection nets, the sports centre offers logistic and auxiliary services situated in the outbuilding as well as 4 dressing rooms for the teams and 2 for the referees, all equipped with lavatories and showers, first-aid room, stores and technical rooms, public lavatories, side and frontal stands and recreational areas
SHORT HISTORY
The sports centre is dedicated to Antonella De Rigo, the daughter of a well-known local entrepreneur, who died still very young in a car accident. Her father has contributed in part to the realisation of the centre with the Municipality of Cortina. Yet, even before the erection of this new sports centre, a small sports ground already existed at Fiames, where as early as in the Twenties, football enthusiasts used to meet to play football matches on a meadow prepared as football ground. This activity has been going on for many years, though limited to the summer months, and a cabin used as dressing room and a wooden stand for the spectators were added. It was again here that in the Sixties the "Football Tournament of the Sestieri" gained ground and is still part of the traditional sports events of the Sestieri d'Ampezzo.
In 1967, the Municipality of Cortina supplied a sound and substantial cooperation with the Sportivi Ghiaccio Cortina (On-ice Sports Disciplines) to realise a speed-skating rink at Fiames, following the results obtained by the Italian athletes in speed-skating discipline - among them Cortina resident Renato De Riva, the top Italian athlete - and the interest arisen by 1956 Winter Olympic Games. On that occasion the speed-skating competitions were held on the lake of Misurina. In the 80s the town Municipality decided to realise a sports centre at Fiames in order to improve the growth of sporting activities and to give the numerous athletes from Cortina the opportunity to train on a "home" track. The centre was to be intended both for football and track and field events. The design for the sports centre had to include a football ground, a track and field course and a building with dressing rooms, stores, and logistic services. The works started in the 90s.
The 400-m long ice ring, with a 10m. width used to be prepared during the Winter season on the football ground. It was clearly natural ice and therefore it required a huge amount of work both for its realisation and maintenance. However, this track gave enormous satisfaction; first of all because our athletes could train "at home" and moreover for the times recorded during international competitions. Actually as everybody said, "the Ampezzo ice" was very fast and suitable for considerable sports performances.
Likewise, it is worth remembering that in the 70s and in the 80s some Ice Speedway races, organised by the Moto Club Cortina of that period, and other races with spiked-wheeled cars took place on the same ice-track.
