From December 7 to 10, the 2023-2024 ISU World Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals will be held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium, marking the return of the event to Beijing after 13 years. At present, the preparations for the event are progressing in an orderly manner, and the ice-making work of the venue is expected to be completed on December 3.
The main arena of figure skating at the National Indoor Stadium.
According to the requirements of the International Skating Union, the ice surface thickness of this figure skating Grand Prix Finals is about 55 cm. Wang Yue, general manager of the National Stadium Co., Ltd., said that the relevant ice-making work is nearing completion, "The ice-maker spreads the water on the ice layer by layer, and each watering will form about 05 mm of ice until the ice surface thickness reaches the standard to ensure that the ice surface is flat and does not crack. Finally, the staff will pour and scrape the ice surface uniformly to make the ice surface smoother. ”
Wang Yue, general manager of the National Stadium Co., Ltd., was interviewed.
Different ice projects have different requirements for the temperature, thickness and hardness of the ice surface. Compared to ice hockey, figure skating uses a hotter, thicker, and less stiff ice surface. The ice-making team is composed of Chinese ice-makers, who have provided support services for the Beijing Winter Olympics and the China Cup (Chongqing Station) of the Figure Skating Grand Prix, and have rich experience in ice-making. At the ice-making site on December 1, the reporter saw that the "Ice Sail" (the emblem of the finals) had been "buried" under the ice.
The ice-making team is working on the ice.
In addition to the ice-making work, the venue operator also upgraded the layout of the venue, image landscape and viewing facilities, especially the construction of 40 cm low board walls on both sides of the ice rink, so that the camera can capture the ice flowers raised by the skateblades in contact with the ice surface when the figure skaters rotate at high speed, which greatly enriches the display angle of the action, so that the audience on the scene and in front of the screen can enjoy a better experience.
Data map: Exterior view of the National Stadium.
The National Indoor Stadium "Ice Sail" located in the Beijing Olympic Park served the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2022 Winter Olympics, echoing the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Hall and the "Water (Ice) Cube" of the National Aquatics Center.
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals was hosted by the International Skating Union and co-organized by the Chinese Figure Skating Association and the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau. At present, the preparations for the event are progressing in an intense and orderly manner, and the "Ice Sail" is about to stage the peak showdown of top figure skaters. At the same time, tickets for the event are on sale, including single-day tickets, double tickets, family tickets, discount packages and four-day passes, which can be purchased online through Damai.com.
Source: The Organizing Committee.