Oval Facts
The Utah Olympic Oval facility consists of five acres - roughly the size of four football fields - under a clear span suspension roof. The facility houses a 400-meter speed skating oval and two international size ice sheets. Under the ice sheets and track are 33 miles of freeze tubes which keep the concrete base at 18°F year-round.
The facility also includes a four-lane 442-meter state of the art running track, eight 110-meter sprint lanes, high performance weight room, spacious locker facilities and team rooms, World Record Lounge and meeting rooms, concession stands, Oval Gifts and Gear Pro Shop, skate rental and skate sharpening services.
To explore the Oval's facilities in more detail, click here.
The Fastest Ice on Earth
During the 2002 Games the Oval hosted the Olympic speed skating events. With a capacity of 5200 and sell-outs for nearly every session, the Oval provided the ideal environment for Olympians to deliver their best results. And that they did!
With an incredible 10 Olympic records and eight world records, the Utah Olympic Oval stands uncontested as the Fastest Ice on Earth following the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
As impressive as the record breaking performances were, it was the performance of the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team during the Games that generated a worldwide buzz surrounding the Utah Olympic Oval. At the end of the 2002 Games, the U.S. Speedskating team had garnished an astonishing eight Olympic medals won by six individual team members.
The athletes were generous with their praise, identifying the training environment at the Utah Olympic Oval as a huge factor in helping them realize their full potential as Olympic athletes. Today, the Utah Olympic Oval is headquarters for US Speed Skating, ensuring a legacy of continued growth and international success for this exciting sport.
Oval History
The Utah Olympic Oval originally started out as an uncovered oval, a far cry from the world-class facility that exists today. The original oval - which would be used for inline skating during the summer and ice skating during the winter - was formally dedicated in a ceremony, attended by Olympian Cathy Turner, on January 12, 1996.
After Salt Lake City won the 2002 Olympic bid in 1995, Salt Lake Organizing Committee began the design process for a permanent cover for the oval. During the cover's design process it was decided to pull up and replace the entire original oval. The new oval was designed by Gilles Stransky Brems Smith of Salt Lake City, and constructed by Layton Construction.
To keep those costs down, and give a unobstructed view of the ice, the roof would be constructed similar to a suspension bridge. Between twenty-four masts, twelve on each side of the building, steel cables nearly 400 feet long and 3.5 inches in diameter were strung, suspending the roof above the oval.
Work on the new oval began in June 1999 and was completed just in time for the World Single Distance Championships, on March 9–11, 2001. The total cost of construction was approximately $30 million.