EvalCom 2015 SU in Edmonton - Day 3

EvalCom Chair Stefan Bergh addressing the media at the press conference

Today, May 3rd, the Evaluation Committee for the 2015 Summer Universiade had its last day of the three-day inspection visit of Edmonton, third and last candidate city for the 2015 SU visited by the Committee members.

The EvalCom in at the Gretzky statue in front of Rexall Place

The delegates started their last Edmonton tour with a stop at the Commonwealth Stadium, the home of the Canadian Football Club Edmonton Eskimos and venue for the 1983 Summer Universiade Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics. The venue is proposed by the Bidding Committee once more to host the Universiade Ceremonies in this 60,000 seating capacity venue.

At the ‘Igloo Room’, the Eskimos Alumni clubhouse, the FISU delegates listened to a number of presentations tackling the ceremonies, volunteers, Green Games, the MPC/IBC and they got a deeper insight in the development already in process of the North Central Community Center and the Eskimo Field House.

From there the delegations went to the Northlands, a giant convention center which is in full expansion and which will host fencing, judo and both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. The facility will also be used for any optional sports that will be decided in a later stage.

The EvalCom members then went to the adjacent Rexall Place, a multi-purpose arena (16,839 seats) which is the home of the famous NHL ice hockey club Edmonton Oilers, five-time Stanley Cup winner and once the home of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. The delegates toured the venue which will be used for the finals of basketball and volleyball and also for artistic gymnastics.

At the end of the tour, there was media meeting where EvalCom Chair Stefan Bergh gave a round-up of the inspection visit to the Edmonton media. As the city hosted the SU in 1983, the media and public interest and enthusiasm is very much geared up about the Edmonton Bid.

The FISU Executive Committee will decide on the 2015 SU candidate and attribute the 2015 Games to either, Edmonton (CAN), Gwangju (KOR) or Taipei City (TPE) on May 23rd in Brussels, Belgium.