Asia's center of excellence on ice

Beijing 2022's iconic Ice Ribbon venue living up to legacy pledge as part of major international skating project

Impressed by the venue's post-Olympic operations, the International Skating Union has hailed Beijing's "Ice Ribbon" as a major hub for its Center of Excellence project to promote skating worldwide.

Over a year and a half since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics closed, the National Speed Skating Oval, the Games' competition venue, remains busy with professionals, amateurs and tourists sharing the giant 12,000-square-meter ice surface — the largest in Asia — for recreational skating and elite-level training programs all season long.

The bustling scenes at the oval, dubbed the "Ice Ribbon" due to its slick exterior lighting beams, have convinced visiting International Skating Union president Kim Jae-youl that Beijing 2022's legacy is secured.

"I was very happy to hear that the Ice Ribbon is open for public use," Kim said at the oval on Tuesday after launching an ISU Center of Excellence training camp.

"I see many young kids trying to learn to skate. I also understand that the national team stages practice sessions here. It's wonderful to witness that Beijing is taking advantage of the Olympic legacy and putting it to good use. I'm really happy to see the way you utilize the venue," said Kim, a South Korean sports administrator who was elected ISU president in June 2022.