Odense er både til breddeidræt og elitesport Odense is for general athletics and elite sports
To nurture sporting talent, Hjalleseskolen offers elite athletics classes for Years 8 to 10. After that, Tornbjerg Gymnasium takes over with advanced schooling designed to be compatible with an elite athlete’s everyday routines. If the sports enthusiasts have any surplus energy left over, SDU offers an elite scheme with a university programme constructed to be compatible with a sporting career. These years, Odense sporting life also has the pleasure of enjoying a particularly large share of politicians’ attention, partly because the municipality has set a whole raft of renovations in motion for existing facilities, and partly because Odense City Council is adopting a sports policy in 2008. The new sports strategy aims to encourage more Odense residents of all ages to become physically active, to get involved in sports clubs, win more championships, organise more events, and, last but not least, to enhance co-operation between players in the sporting world and the public institutions. In order for them to achieve these goals, SIKO, DIF, DGI and Dansk Firmaidrætsforbund (corporate sports association) have pointed out that the associations and also the facilities must continue to develop even after the recent modernisation of the skating rink, Fionia Park, the sports hall and Odense Athletics Stadium. And this is in addition to the fact that sports and cultural events venue Arena Fyn was inaugurated in 2007, the cycle track is due to be roofed according to plan, and a harbourside water culture centre will be built in the next few years. “Many sports halls were designed for handball and badminton, but they need to be remodelled to accommodate a lot more. That will ensure we are equipped for the future and for winning more medals,” SIKO chairman Henrik Schmidt concludes.
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