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South Salt Lake Journal

World Cup speed skating event canceled at Utah Olympic Oval

Oct 28, 2024 09:49AM ● By Tom Haraldsen
The International Skating Union (ISU) has canceled the Short Track World Tour #2
speed skating event planned for the Utah Olympic Oval this coming Friday through Sunday. The
announcement was made late Friday, as skaters were already competing in the season-opening
event in Montreal, Canada. That same arena will now host the #2 event.

The event was canceled, along with the 4 Continents Short Track Championships that
were also scheduled for the Kearn Oval Nov. 8-9. The ISU said in a statement it was due to a
safety issue at the Kearns Oval, which has hosted world-class events for nearly 20 years.

“The events were moved and canceled based on an ISU decision related to newly
implemented safety padding systems requirements for Short Track speed skating events,” the
ISU statement read. “Following the issuance of updated pad requirements, US Speedskating
and the Utah Olympic Oval ordered a new pad system from an ISU-approved company. The
Utah Olympic Oval was informed by the manufacturer that due to supply chain issues, they
would not meet the delivery deadline.”

The Utah Olympic Oval has been the training site for U.S. Speedskating short and long
track teams since before the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The Oval hosted long track events
for those games, though short track races were held at the Maverik Center. Over the past 15
years, the Oval has hosted 10 World Cup races, numerous national events and this same
combination of an ISU World Cup Short Track and 4 Continents Championships in 2022. The
ISU said in its release that the Oval “has an unblemished safety record and is recognized as an
‘ISU Center for Excellence.’”

Canceling the event so late in the game can create a logistics nightmare, and not just for
the skaters. Fans had purchased tickets and booked flights and hotel accommodations, vendors
had ordered food for athletes and spectators, and transportation companies were set to move
teams in and around the Salt Lake City area for the next two weekends. Now, all of that
changes as the competitors will remain in Montreal for a second straight week.

As of Sunday, organizers were working on a refund program for those who had bought
tickets to the events. The ISU said it is working to see if it can reschedule the 4 Continents
competition for later this year. Following the second event in Montreal, skaters will compete in
Beijing, China Dec. 6-8 and Seoul, Korea Dec. 13-15. The final two events on the Short Track
World Cup Tour will take place in the Netherlands and Italy in February.