2034 Salt Lake Winter Olympics - Figure Skating Venue Change

[A.H.Black]

https://www.ksl.com/article/5115171...2034-winter-games-venues-are-already-changing

It was announced last night at the first game for the Utah Hockey Club that Hockey would be in the Delta Center for the Olympics. It wasn't meant to be announced yet, but apparently the decision has been made and it is official. The pertinent paragraph is -

With Olympic hockey moving to the Delta Center, Bullock said figure skating and short track speedskating would move to the Maverik Center in West Valley City, which hosted hockey in 2002 and was set to do it again in 2034, along with the smaller Peaks Ice Arena in Provo.

It's both a bad and good decision in my view. The Maverick Center holds many fewer spectators than the Delta Center. With all the seats that get reserved for dignitaries and press, this means it will be extremely difficult to get tickets for figure skating. On the other hand, The Maverick Center is a much more spectator friendly venue with seats down to floor level. Those lucky few who get tickets will have a wonderful experience.

I note 2 things -

• This decision demonstrates the waning popularity of figure skating in most nations.
• The Delta Center will be able to have better security for hockey with the stands up so far from the ice. Figure skating crowds are much more civilized as a general rule.

 

[Karen-W]

https://www.ksl.com/article/5115171...2034-winter-games-venues-are-already-changing

It was announced last night at the first game for the Utah Hockey Club that Hockey would be in the Delta Center for the Olympics. It wasn't meant to be announced yet, but apparently the decision has been made and it is official. The pertinent paragraph is -


It's both a bad and good decision in my view. The Maverick Center holds many fewer spectators than the Delta Center. With all the seats that get reserved for dignitaries and press, this means it will be extremely difficult to get tickets for figure skating. On the other hand, The Maverick Center is a much more spectator friendly venue with seats down to floor level. Those lucky few who get tickets will have a wonderful experience.

I note 2 things -

• This decision demonstrates the waning popularity of figure skating in most nations.
• The Delta Center will be able to have better security for hockey with the stands up so far from the ice. Figure skating crowds are much more civilized as a general rule.

I don't know about that necessarily. There were a LOT of complaints about the sightlines for FS with the Delta Center in 2002. Yes, the venue is smaller - Delta Center holds 16,200 for ice hockey vs. Maverik Center hosting 10,100 for ice hockey, but both sports are guaranteed to sell out either arena for the Olympics. Making the Delta Center the home for hockey when it's the home venue for SLC's NHL team makes a lot of sense to me seeing as the IOC obviously will want the NHL players participating in the 2034 Olympics (current deal with the NHL is for 2026 & 2030).

From the Desert News article:

“There are typically adjustments from the bid plan and given the addition of NHL hockey to the Delta Center, it would be a great fit to have Olympic hockey there. We will work with the IOC to make this change,” (Fraser) Bullock (president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games) said. “Maverik is a great arena for Olympic sized ice.”

So, it's a win for the hockey players, many of whom will be NHL players and used to an NHL-sized arena, and it will be a win for the ISU sports, who generally prefer the Olympic-sized arena.

 

[manhn]

I think it may be more about the potential popularity of hockey if NHL players compete (and Canadians will go in droves) and less to do with the status of figure skating as a sport. I don’t intend to attend the Olympics that year but as a tv viewer, I am glad it’s being moved somewhere else. I just remember tall black walls back in 2002.

 

[A.H.Black]

There were a lot of complaints about the site lines. There was even a proposal to spend the money to raise the ice (they really looked seriously at this). The thing the Delta center had going for it was the ice. The skaters loved the ice. That was the deciding factor on not changing the venue or the floor.

If I'm still able to move (I'll be OLD) and I get one of the tickets, I will be thrilled to have them at the Maverick center. I will feel badly about those who can't get tickets. My real concern is that the new owner of the Salt Lake Hockey Club seems to have influence with the IOC. I wonder if the ISU was consulted or informed or anything.

 

[skatfan]

I think it may be more about the potential popularity of hockey if NHL players compete (and Canadians will go in droves) and less to do with the status of figure skating as a sport. I don’t intend to attend the Olympics that year but as a tv viewer, I am glad it’s being moved somewhere else. I just remember tall black walls back in 2002.

The walls were blue for the Olympics, but yes, they are very tall!

 

[Karen-W]

There were a lot of complaints about the site lines. There was even a proposal to spend the money to raise the ice (they really looked seriously at this). The thing the Delta center had going for it was the ice. The skaters loved the ice. That was the deciding factor on not changing the venue or the floor.

If I'm still able to move (I'll be OLD) and I get one of the tickets, I will be thrilled to have them at the Maverick center. I will feel badly about those who can't get tickets. My real concern is that the new owner of the Salt Lake Hockey Club seems to have influence with the IOC. I wonder if the ISU was consulted or informed or anything.

The Deseret News article I found said the IOC was notified about the discussions about the venue change about two weeks before Bach visited in late September.

Olympic hockey at the Delta Center? Here are the venue changes for the 2034 Winter Games

Olympic hockey at the 2034 Winter Games will be held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, moving figure skating and short track speedskating to the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

www.deseret.com

While in Utah late last month, IOC President Thomas Bach met with Smith, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson to hear the plans for downtown. Bullock said the IOC had been notified about the venue change weeks in advance of Bach’s two-day visit.

I don't know how much "consultation" occurred, but I can't see the IOC opposing this - they know that either venue will sell out for whichever sport it hosts.