Beijing 'Ice Ribbon' venue construction proceeds smoothly

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The National Speed Skating Oval has completed its underground construction in Beijing on June 26.

By Cui Can

China SCIOUpdated: June 27, 2018

The National Speed Skating Oval, which will host speed skating competitions during the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, has completed its underground construction in Beijing on June 26, according to Beijing State-owned Assets Management Company.

The National Speed Skating Oval has completed its underground construction in Beijing on June 26, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Company]


Situated in the Olympic Forest Park, the National Speed Skating Oval will cover 97,000 square meters with a capacity for 12,000 people. Construction of the venue started in April 2017 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Dubbed "Ice Ribbon," the concept of the National Speed Skating Oval features the installation of 22 separate light arcs, or ribbons, running around its exterior to symbolize the speed of the sport and the year in which the Winter Olympic Games are to be held in Beijing.

Wu Xiaonan, vice president of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Company and Party secretary and chairman of Beijing National Speed Skating Oval Operation Co., Ltd. believes that the Beijing 2022 games will set a new benchmark for a sustainable Olympics.

Wu Xiaonan, vice president of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Company and Party secretary and chairman of Beijing National Speed Skating Oval Operation Co., Ltd. delivers a speech at a ceremony held in Beijing on June 26, 2018. [Photo by Cui Can/China.org.cn]


"On the one hand we have benefited much from the experiences accumulated from the venues construction for Beijing 2008, and on the other hand, we hope to develop a new winter sports destination in a sustainable way," said Wu.

As one of two new Olympic competition venues in Beijing for the 2022 Games, the oval aims to serve the city's promise to promote skating among the public after the Olympics.

"It will be one of our future major tasks to maintain the coexistence between speed skating and other ice sports and the sustainable use for the public," he added. "In an effort to raise public interest and fulfill our social responsibility, the National Speed Skating Oval will join hands with China Disabled Persons' Federation and other social institutions to provide a platform for more people to take part in skating sports."

In addition to highlighting the sustainability of the construction, the venue project was also invested and managed by a public-private partnership overseen by the Beijing municipal government, in a bid to create innovative and practical solutions for the sustainable use of the venue.