The schedule for the conclusion of the arena, which is used for many hockey games at the 2026 winter Olympics in Italy, will be “very narrow”, the organizers informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week at the 144th meeting of the organization in Greece.
The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, where 16,000 fans can take place, will organize many men’s hockey games as well as the semi -finals and the last games in women’s hockey. During the Paralympics, it will also accommodate Para hockey.
However, if things go to the schedule, the organizers can only get into the facility in the facility to build the temporary ice that the players will use by October, four months before the start of the games.
The arena is developed by a private company. After the games, the ice is removed and other sports are organized.
“We are following the processes from the start,” said Andrea Varnier, CEO of Milano Cortina 2026, after his presentation in front of IOC members on Thursday.
Varnier accused the pandemic for a “slow start”, which wondered private owners whether the arena would be a good investment without knowing what could happen in the world.
“We were really worried at one point,” said Varnier. “Finally the work started and they go very, very quickly.”
The photos of the organization committee during their presentation showed a skeleton of a structure.
Ice that should be tested less than 2 months before the games
In the schedule, the temporary ice cream would be completed less than two months before the games in December. The organizers will then hold test events to measure their quality.
When asked about the backup plan of the organizers, if the Santagiulia ice hockey arena is not ready in time, Varnier said that there is none.
“We don’t see a backup plan because working with our timing, as we said, is going perfectly online,” said Varnier. So we do not believe that together with the international federation we need a plan B. “
After the Olympic Games and Paralympics, the ice is removed and the furnishings can be used for other sports such as tennis that are more popular in the area.
NHL players will return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2014. The first tickets were offered for sale in February on two days.
Hockey was one of the most popular draws from more than 600,000 tickets sold as well as biathlon, figure skating and cross -country ski skiing.
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“It is obvious that it is a great opportunity for us, for the games for the Olympic movement for the Olympic movement, for Milano Cortina 2026,” Giovanni Malagò, President of the Organizational Committee, told reporters.
Varying asked about the quality of the temporary ice cream that the players will use, said that there are great examples of tournaments with temporary ice.
“We have the knowledge, technology and the experience of making a fantastic temporary ice sheet for the NHL players to have a fantastic (tournament),” he said.
“We work with international associations. That has never been a concern. Of course, the speed skating is much more challenging. That will also be temporary.”
Slided center set for testing
The Milan Ice Park will organize the Speed Skating Stadium and the RHO ICE Hockey Arena, in which the hockey games for men and women take place in the new Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Varnier told the IOC that permanent work in the Eispark was completed. After the games, the venue will be available as a multifunctional space for the community. As in Santagiulia, the ice is temporary.
“At the same time, we can prove that it is possible to organize a complex event like a speed skating competition in a temporary and sustainable place,” said Varnier.
Next week, 60 athletes are to be the sliding unit built in Cortina, an event location that was the goal of Sabotage last month. The backup plan, if the sliding end had not been completed, would be moved to the Lake Placid, NY,
The village of the athletes in Milan is almost complete, while the first prefabricated houses arrived in Cortina d’Ampezzo two weeks ago, the organizers said.
