Utah Olympic Oval
The Utah Olympic Oval
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| Former names | Oquirrh Park Oval |
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| Location | 5662 South Cougar Lane Kearns, Utah  United States
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| Coordinates | 40°38′52″N 112°00′32″W / 40.64784°N 112.00877°WCoordinates: 40°38′52″N 112°00′32″W / 40.64784°N 112.00877°W |
| Owner | Utah Athletic Foundation |
| Capacity | 3,000 6,500 (2002 Winter Olympics) |
| Acreage | 5 acres |
| Surface | Ice |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1999–2001 |
| Opened | February 2001 |
| Construction cost | $30 million USD |
| Architect | Gilles Stransky Brems Smith (GSBS) Architects |
| General contractor | Layton Construction |
| Tenants | |
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XIX Olympic Winter Games (February 2002) Utah Saints (AIFA) (2008) |
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| Website | |
| Utah Olympic Oval | |
The Utah Olympic Oval, an indoor speed skating oval built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is located 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Salt Lake City, in Kearns, Utah. The Oval hosted the long track speed skating events for the 2002 games. Inside the facility the 400-meter skating track surrounds two international sized ice sheets, and is itself surrounded by a 442-meter running track. Thanks to its high altitude, 4,675 feet (1,425 m), and the associated low air resistance, 10 Olympic and 9 world records were set at the oval during the 2002 games, the largest number of world records ever set at one event. Following the 2002 Olympics the oval temporarily held the title of "Fastest Ice on Earth".
Along with Soldier Hollow and the Utah Olympic Park, the Utah Olympic Oval was built specifically for the 2002 Winter Olympics. On October 5, 1992, the Utah Sports Authority chose the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center in Kearns as the site for the 2002 Olympic Oval, beating out other locations in West Valley City, Sandy and downtown Salt Lake City. Funds from the 1989 Olympic referendum would be used to construct the oval, and would be repaid with profits from the games. The plans called for using $3.7 million of tax payer money to construct the oval, which would be an outdoor facility. If Salt Lake City won its 1995 bid for the 2002 games, Olympic funds would be used to cover the oval, and build an ice sheet in the center of the track. By the time the groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 1994, the price tag had increased to $4.1 million, with an expected completion date sometime that December. Because of cold temperatures and a wet spring, cement for the oval could not be poured, and the oval didn't open until September 1, 1995, almost a year behind schedule. The oval was formally dedicated in a ceremony, attended by Olympian Cathy Turner, on January 12, 1996. Prior to it being covered and used during the Olympic games, the oval would be used for inline skating during the summer and ice skating during the winter months.
After Salt Lake City won the 2002 Olympic bid on June 16, 1995, Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) began the design process for a permanent cover for the oval. During the cover's design process it was decided to pull up and replace the entire original oval. The new oval was designed by Gilles Stransky Brems Smith of Salt Lake City, and constructed by Layton Construction. Work on the new oval began in June 1999 at an estimated cost of $27 million. To keep those costs down, and give an unobstructed view of the ice, the roof would be constructed similar to a suspension bridge. Between twenty-four masts, twelve on each side of the building, steel cables nearly 400 feet (120 m) long and 3.5 inches (89 mm) in diameter were strung, suspending the roof above the oval.
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