The
Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is a covered
speed skatingSpeed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
oval built for the
1988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the
University of CalgaryThe University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
campus. Thanks to two propane Zamboni
ice resurfacerAn ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle or smaller device used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by Frank J. Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California...
s, the high altitude, and the advanced climate control, the oval is known as "The fastest ice in the world". In 2012, the Olympic Oval will kick off its 25th year of public service with a number of exciting activities and celebrations.
History
The Olympic Oval was designed as the first covered speed skating oval in North America, and as the first to be used at Winter Olympics. Being domed, this would give the facility the ability to control climate conditions inside to produce the highest quality ice possible.
Construction of The Oval began in 1985, nearly four years after Calgary had been designated host of the
XV Olympic Winter GamesThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. Like the
Olympic SaddledomeThe Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
most of the Oval's structure was built using precast, prestressed concrete. 28 beams were laid along the outside of the perimeter of the building to support 84 additional beams used to construct a lattice frame for the arched roof. The interior scaffolding used to hoist these 84 beams had to be lowered a centimetre at a time in a predetermined sequence in order to distribute the load of the roof equally to each of the 28 exterior support beams. Construction was completed by the end of the summer of 1987, officially opening in September 1987, five months before the beginning of the Olympics.
It was during the speed skating events of the
Olympic Winter GamesThe Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
in 1988 that The Oval became known as
"the fastest ice on Earth", as world records times were set in seven distance events (Men's 500 m, Men's 1500 m, Men's 10000 m, Women's 500 m, Women's 1000 m, Women's 3000 m and Women's 5000 m), and new Olympic records were set in the other three events (Men's 1500 m, Men's 5000 m and Women's 1500 m).
The combination of the climate-controlled facility and the effects of high
altitudeAltitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
have been credited to the fast ice surface. Throughout the following 14 years the vast majority of speed skating world records were set at The Oval. The Olympic Oval has now been re-nicknamed
The fastest ice in the world, holding 12 current world records. The Oval continues to be regarded as a premier speed skating venue, and a preferred training facility for speed skating teams across the globe.
Along with the 400 m long-track speed skating oval the Olympic Oval also includes two international-sized ice rinks for short-track speed skating and ice hockey, as well as a 450 m running track surrounding the main ova and an eight-lane 110 m sprint track for year-round athletics training.
When not hosting hockey games and speed skating competitions, The Oval is open to public skating and family day events.
External links