Organizers Admit No Backup Plan for Milan Cortina Winter Games Hockey Arena
Construction on the new ice hockey arena in Milan, set to host NHL players back at the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, is facing an unprecedented crunch point. With the Olympic hockey games just around the corner, concerns are growing that the venue may not be ready on schedule. The main arena's completion date has slipped, and the usually extensive testing period before medal events is being severely condensed.
Organizers have revealed that there is no contingency plan in place if the arena fails to meet its deadline. According to Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for Milan Cortina, "there is no plan B." This means that the entire competition will be held at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, with little room for error.
The Italian ice hockey arena has already experienced a test event debacle, with organizers forced to move a scheduled test event. New tests are not scheduled until January 9-11, leaving just days to prepare before the first Olympic hockey game on February 5.
In normal circumstances, new Olympic venues undergo extensive testing at least a year in advance of hosting medal events. However, this process is being expedited in the case of the Milan Cortina Winter Games. The arena must not only have a safe and suitable ice surface but also functional concession stands, bathrooms, and other amenities.
Despite these challenges, Francisi remains confident that the venue will be ready on time. He credited daily updates from the construction team, which has worked at an accelerated pace, for his optimism. However, he acknowledged that "there's always a risk" of delays, and the team is taking a measured approach to avoid any last-minute hiccups.
With the men's Olympic hockey tournament set to take place from February 11-22, and the women's tournament running from February 5-19, the pressure on Francisi and his team is mounting. Any failure to deliver a ready venue could have significant implications for the success of the Games.
Construction on the new ice hockey arena in Milan, set to host NHL players back at the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, is facing an unprecedented crunch point. With the Olympic hockey games just around the corner, concerns are growing that the venue may not be ready on schedule. The main arena's completion date has slipped, and the usually extensive testing period before medal events is being severely condensed.
Organizers have revealed that there is no contingency plan in place if the arena fails to meet its deadline. According to Andrea Francisi, chief games operations officer for Milan Cortina, "there is no plan B." This means that the entire competition will be held at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, with little room for error.
The Italian ice hockey arena has already experienced a test event debacle, with organizers forced to move a scheduled test event. New tests are not scheduled until January 9-11, leaving just days to prepare before the first Olympic hockey game on February 5.
In normal circumstances, new Olympic venues undergo extensive testing at least a year in advance of hosting medal events. However, this process is being expedited in the case of the Milan Cortina Winter Games. The arena must not only have a safe and suitable ice surface but also functional concession stands, bathrooms, and other amenities.
Despite these challenges, Francisi remains confident that the venue will be ready on time. He credited daily updates from the construction team, which has worked at an accelerated pace, for his optimism. However, he acknowledged that "there's always a risk" of delays, and the team is taking a measured approach to avoid any last-minute hiccups.
With the men's Olympic hockey tournament set to take place from February 11-22, and the women's tournament running from February 5-19, the pressure on Francisi and his team is mounting. Any failure to deliver a ready venue could have significant implications for the success of the Games.
how can they not have a backup plan? construction delays are one thing but failing to meet deadline is like a huge fail 
i mean who tests a hockey arena in just 5 days? that's like trying to put together a ikea bookshelf with one hand tied behind your back 
the pressure on francisi and his team must be enormous, but at least they're keeping it under wraps 
... can't believe they didn't even think to have a backup plan for the ice hockey arena. Like, what if something goes wrong and you can't get it ready on time? It's not like they're asking for perfection here. And condensing the testing period is just crazy talk 
. I mean, how are they gonna make sure everything is safe and functional with barely a week to go before the first game? This whole thing smells like a recipe for disaster...
I'm a bit surprised that they didn't have some kind of backup plan, especially with how tight the schedule is.
).
... how can they expect everything to come together at the last minute? And what about the athletes? They've been training for months... this is a nightmare scenario! 
gotta keep an eye on this one