Interior view of the National Speed Skating Hall.
Photo by reporter Han Haidan
China News Service, Beijing, April 7 (Reporter Lu Yan and Xu Pengpeng) Among the five major venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics ice events, the National Speed Skating Stadium, known as the "Ice Ribbon", is the only newly-built venue.
On the 7th, the speed skating competition of the "Meet in Beijing" series of winter sports test activities kicked off here. The "Ice Ribbon" unveiled the mystery and ushered in the first speed skating competition.
The reason why the National Speed Skating Stadium has such a fantastic nickname is inseparable from its unique appearance design.
The elegant and smooth "Ice Ribbon" design concept comes from the combination of ice and speed.
The 22 glass curtain walls hovering from low to high along the curved surface of the outer wall are like circles of light and shadow left by speed skaters when they slide at high speed.
The "Ice Ribbon" main stadium has a construction area of about 80,000 square meters, a height of 33 meters, and can accommodate about 12,000 spectators.
In this speed skating test activity, the "Ice Ribbon" set up 13 competitions.
According to the schedule, from April 7 to 10, there will be men’s speed skating 500 meters, 1000 meters, 1500 meters, 5000 meters, group chases and group start; women’s speed skating 500 meters, 1000 meters, 1500 meters, 3000 meters, 5000 meters Meters, group chases and group start competitions.
The players are in the game.
Photo by reporter Han Haidan
The ice rink is the top priority of the speed skating competition, and the ice ribbon is determined to create the "fastest ice".
This is the largest all-ice surface in Asia, covering nearly 12,000 square meters. It is made with carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice making technology. There are nearly 130 kilometers of ice coils below.
Compared with traditional technology, it can save 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year.
In addition to considering environmental protection, it is also to create the "fastest ice".
The level difference of the concrete ice slab layer of the track is controlled at about 4 mm, which is very smooth; the temperature difference of the ice surface is controlled within 0.5 degrees Celsius, which is very uniform; at the same time, the joining of the hall-level ice makers with rich experience makes the stadium even more powerful.
Athletes who have just stepped off the ice rink and finished the game have said that the competition environment here is quite excellent.
Epperdine Yahefu, who won the men's 500-meter speed skating competition in the Beijing team, even scored his best performance of the season here.
He told reporters that he was very satisfied with his achievements, and the results are inseparable from the help of the new stadium.
"The stadium is brand new, the facilities are good, and the temperature of the venue is very suitable for me to play. I think in all aspects, the ice ribbon ice rink is the best plain ice rink in the country," Epperdine Yahe Just said.
The athletes accepted mixed interviews from the media after the game.
Photo by reporter Han Haidan
The teammates of Epperdine Yahefu, Sun Xiaohan and Chen Chuang, also from the Beijing team, even used a vivid word to describe the ice surface-"very walkway".
Chen Chuang, who won the men's runner-up, explained the meaning of this word to reporters.
"It is to show the athletes' sliding speed! The'Ice Ribbon' ice rink is already perfect. The thickness of the ice is very well controlled. The ice surface is very flat, without ice edges or slopes." Chen Chuang said, "Domestic competition I have basically skated on the ice rinks in China, and I have also been to some abroad. As the National Speed Skating Stadium is a plain ice rink, the combination of the quality of the ice and the athletes' movements can produce faster speeds."
Sun Xiaohan, who won the women's 500m Beijing team championship, even smelled the smoke of the Winter Olympics here.
"The National Speed Skating Stadium is the best venue in the country, and it also brings a different experience to the athletes. Standing on the venue of the Winter Olympics, there will be an immersive feeling, and it must be a little bit stressful. We work hard to play Out of their highest level." (End)