The National Speed Skating Stadium, one of the venues designed to host events for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, will be constructed in 2016, according to Li Yinchuan, director of the Administration of Sport.
If Beijing and Shijiazhuang win their joint bid for the 2022 Olympic Games, stadia in Beijing are expected to hold the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games and Paralympic Games, as well as events in four sports: figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey and curling. Figure skating and short track speed skating would be held in Beijing Capital Stadium, while curling would be held in the Water Cube and ice hockey held at Wukesong Stadium.
“The National Speed Skating Stadium to be constructed will host long and medium distance speed skating competitions,” said Li, “and construction will be finished within one year as scheduled regardless of the result of our bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.”
The National Speed Skating Stadium will be located west of the Olympic Park and south of the National Tennis Center. Equipped with 12,000 seats for spectators and 400m-long skating tracks, the National Stadium will be suitable for both athletic training and public recreational use.
