International World Games Association : Duisburg

Duisburg

Wedau Venues

The Wedau Sports Park comprises the bulk of Duisburg's superb sports facilities and - because of its central location - will be the pivot to competitions and ceremonies in connection with The World Games 2005. Extending over 200 hectares - 56 of which are bodies of water - the park offers the perfect setting for recreation and for sports. The venues described below are integral parts of the 'Sports Park Wedau' and permanent home to 19 national and regional federations and 24 Duisburg sports clubs. They are all used regularly in national and international competition at the highest levels.

Sports Park Wedau

Sportpark Wedau The aerial view of the Sports Park Wedau shows the density of prime sports facilities, stadia and indoor arenas. The Organizing Committee's aim of staging the 'Games of the Short Distances' should become attainable with such a compact layout of the principal venues.

MSV-Arena Ceremonies

The stadium formerly known as Wedau Stadium underwent a complete renovation for The 7th World Games 2005 and for the benefit of city's Bundesliga club, the MSV. In a record time of less than two years, the MSV-Arena was built by replacing old structures dating back to 1922 step by step. All the while the MSV continued to play its home games there. The stadium's new configuration is all-soccer, with capacity of more than 30'000, nearly all of them seated in closest proximity to the pitch and under a roof.

Duisburg Ice Rink

The Duisburg ice rink was built in 1971. It filled the last remaining gap in the city's offer of permanent venues for recreation and sports. Home to the EV Duisburg ice hockey club and to the inline roller hockey team 'Duisburg Steelers', it has a capacity of 4'800 spectators.

Regatta Course

The regatta course has traditionally been one of Duisburg's windows to the world of sports. Numerous world championships in rowing and canoeing have been held here already. With a length of over 2'000 meters, a width of 120 meters and a water depth of up to 10 meters, the course offers ideal conditions for competition in three different sports of The World Games 2005. Up to 10'0000 spectators may follow these competitions from the grandstands, the banks and the dam which protects the entire course from wind.

Sports Academy

Sportschule Wedau The Wedau Sports Academy is the largest of its kind in Europe, includes a multitude of outdoor and indoor sports complexes, a congress center and a hotel to accommodate up to 380 guests in modern rooms. The academy serves as a national and regional training center for well over 20 sports, providing each and every one of them with complete facilities.

Wedau Cable Water Ski Venue

The first ever Cable Wakeboard World Championships were staged right here, in 2001, with the permanent cable water ski lift on the lake 'Margareten', located in the center of the Wedau Sports Park. A highly successful event - appraised by the sport's governing body, the International Water Ski Federation, as well as by 6'000 spectators in attendance!

Wedau Swim Stadium

An Olympic-size indoor pool (50 m) with 8 lanes, the Wedau Swim Stadium has been renovated during 2004 and serves as the venue for the fin swimming and lifesaving (pool) events of The World Games 2005. It accommodates 360 spectators.

Lake Berta

Lake Berta, another artificial lake within the Sports Park Wedau, serves as venue to the beach lifesaving events of 2005 Duisburg.

The Seventh World Games 2005

Duisburg, July 14, 2005, 19:00 CET.
A capacity crowd of 32,000 people will have taken their seats at the new MSV-Arena. The first of the 2005 Duisburg ceremonies is about to begin. In attendance: the President of the International Olympic Committee and other diginitaries.
Ten days packed with high-level competition in 34 official and 6 invitational sports will follow. 3,500 top athletes from 100 nations will contest medals in 177 events.
500,000 spectators are expected at 27 fabulous sports venues in Duisburg, Mülheim on the Ruhr, Oberhausen and Bottrop between July 14 and 24.

The World Meets On The Plaza

The World Games 2005 Duisburg aspire to go way beyond being merely an elite sporting event. With attractive cultural programs surrounding the games, they turn into a multi-facted get-together on the global scale. In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, on July 14 and 24, a series of cultural highlights invite the general public to take part and experience the 'fasciNATIONS worldgames' first hand. The World Games Plaza, a city temporarily erected within the city of Duisburg, sets the scene for encounters between participants and spectators ... from around the globe.