"With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire. 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 5 February one day before the opening ceremony. It's going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that, Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently."
"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."
Construction on the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is behind schedule, prompting relocation of the main December test event for the under-20 world championship to the smaller Rho Fiera hockey venue. No replacement test event has been scheduled for the Santagiulia, creating the possibility that the first game in the main arena may occur on Feb. 5, one day before the opening ceremony. New Olympic venues are normally tested well in advance to validate ice, facilities, concessions and crowd operations. The Santagiulia is being built by a private company and is slated to become Italy's largest indoor arena, with high-priced tickets already on sale.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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