A general view of the construction site of the PalaItalia Santa Giulia ice hockey arena, which will host the hockey and para hockey competitions at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Milan, Italy, December 1, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
MILAN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Test events will be held next month at a new ice hockey arena in Milan which Olympic organisers are racing to complete in time for the Games.
Progress on the Santagiulia venue has emerged as the main headache in the run-up to the Olympics which will be co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6-22.
The tests are scheduled for January 9-11 to allow the completion of construction work and overall installation of the new facility, local organisers the Milano Cortina Foundation said on Monday.
The ice itself will need to be tested, as well as ensuring that facilities for spectators are functioning properly.
Ice hockey will be one of the main events of the Games, with players from the elite U.S. National Hockey League expected to feature.
Andrea Varnier, CEO of the local organising committee, said in late October that the venue would be ready "because there is no alternative".
Located in the south-east of Milan, the arena will have around 15,000 seats. It is one of two ice hockey venues and is scheduled to host the gold medal games.
After the Games, it will be converted into a centre to host sports and live entertainment.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina,Writing by Keith Weir and Ed Osmond)
