2015 WU Update: Inspection Visit in Granada - Day 1

GRANADA – After their inspection visit in Trentino for the 2013 Winter Universiade the Technical Chairs for ice sports continued their travel to Granada, host city of the 2015 WU edition to evaluate and discuss the progress of the ice sport facilities.

Today, Monday April 23^rd, the Technical Chairs, chaired by Roger Roth and assisted by WU Director Milan Augustin met with the delegates of the Organizing Committee. Aurelio Urena, General-Coordinator of the WU gave a warm welcome to the FISU delegates and opened the work session, giving the floor to Eduardo Valenzuela, responsible for the snow sports in Sierra Nevada. Mr. Valenzuela gave a brief overview of the improvements made to the alpine resort, already resulting in a great legacy of the Universiade, boosting tourism and sport activities. Among the latest accomplishments are a new chair lift, a moguls course, the Universiade speed slope, a snowmaking water pond, a halfpipe and a terrain park for snowboarding. He also gave an overview of the held tests events so far, with the FIS junior world cup snowboard just recently.

Then the floor was given to Pablo Gomez who outlined the plans of the ice venues and situated the timeline of progress on the venues. All ice venues will be well connected by the existing motorway and the new subway.

The delegates at the land for the Mulhacen Pavilion

After the coffee break the FISU delegates visited the Granada Sports Palace, a multi-functional sports facility which will be used for figure skating, synchronized skating and short track speed skating by installing a temporary ice rink during the Games. The venue has a 7,000 + seating capacity. Right in front of the arena another multi-sport facility will be build: the Mulhacen Pavilion, where also a temporary ice rink will be installed. This venue will be used as a training facility for short track and figure skating.

FISU SG/CEO Saintrond and WU Director Augustin overseeing the land for the ice hockey arena

After the lunch break the FISU delegates visited the sites where the other ice rinks will be built. The city of Granada is in full expansion towards the north. In that area a permanent ice palace is planned which will constitute the real ice sport legacy for the city after the Universiade as a permanent ice rink will be built. The ‘Ice Palace’ will be hosting the ice hockey tournament and next to this permanent rink a temporary will be built for the period of the Games as both rinks will be able to host the men’s (maximum 12 teams) and women’s (maximum 8 teams) ice hockey competitions.

The architect of the curling rink explainsThe curling rink will be housed in a newly to build multi-functional sports pavilion on the campus of the University of Granada. The FISU delegates met with the architect of the venue who gave a presentation on the project. The facility will be ideally located among other sports infrastructure of the university such as a swimming pool, tennis courts and futsal courts.