Construction of hockey arena for 2026 Olympics facing a 'tight schedule'

The schedule for completing the arena that will be used for many hockey games at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will be "very tight," organizers told the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week at the organization's 144th Session in Greece.

The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, which is slated to be able to host 16,000 fans, will host many men's hockey games and the semifinal and final games in women's hockey. It will also be home to Para hockey during the Paralympics.

But if things go to schedule, organizers won't be able to get into the facility to start building the temporary ice the players will use until October, four months before the Games are set to begin.

The arena is being developed by a private company. After the Games, the ice will be removed and it will host other sports.

"We've been following through the processes since the very beginning," Andrea Varnier, the CEO of Milano Cortina 2026, said after his presentation to IOC members on Thursday.

Varnier blamed the pandemic for a "slow start" that left private owners wondering if the arena would be a good investment, without knowing what might happen in the world.

"We were really worried at one point," Varnier said. "Finally work started and they're going very, very fast."

The photos shown by the organizing committee during their presentation showed a skeleton of a structure.

The schedule would see the temporary ice finished in December, less than two months before the Games. Then, organizers will hold test events to gauge its quality.

Asked about the organizers' backup plan should the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena not be ready in time, Varnier said there isn't one.

"We don't see a need for a backup plan because like we said, the work is going