"Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before hosting medal events. And with a large hockey arena, it's not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It's also about testing concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena. The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italy's largest indoor arena."
"Local organizers confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena - and that no new test event has been scheduled yet. The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's preliminary round competition at the Olympics on Feb. 5 - one day before the opening ceremony."
Construction of the 16,000-seat Santagiulia hockey arena for Milan-Cortina is delayed, forcing the December test event to move to the smaller Rho Fiera venue that will host secondary matches. No replacement test event has been scheduled for Santagiulia, raising the possibility that the arena will not host a game until the women's preliminary round on Feb. 5, one day before the opening ceremony. The timeline is very tight. New Olympic venues are normally tested at least a year in advance to verify ice quality and venue operations. Santagiulia is being built privately and will be Italy's largest indoor arena, with high-priced tickets already on sale.
Read at ESPN.com
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