Day 3 – Cortina Curling Centre

I think this morning was a first for me. A 4am alarm call and a bus journey at 5am. It was still dark when I arrived in Cortina navigating my way to a new venue. What did we used to do without Google Maps.

Curling, Stoats & New Friends

A new venue, a new sport and new people was the order of the day at the Curling Centre.

The Curling Stadium

1956 Winter Olympics: The stadium was built between 1952 and 1954 and inaugurated on October 26, 1955, hosting the opening/closing ceremonies, figure skating, and ice hockey.
Open-Air Structure: It was famous for being the last venue to hold Olympic figure skating outdoors.
Transformation: The venue was later roofed in (after 1981) and has undergone major renovations to meet modern standards for 2026, including updated ice technology and changing rooms.
Cultural Legacy: The arena appeared in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
2026 Olympics: The venue will host all curling and wheelchair curling competitions for the 2026 Winter Games.

The stadium, which still retains some of its original wooden tribunes, continues to serve as a hub for Italian curling, fitting into the 2026 Games’ theme of sustainability and reusing existing infrastructure.

Pre-COmpetition Prep

It ws interesting to watch how they prep the rink/sheet ready for a busy day of matches including GB’s men and women. When watching on tv the perspective of the length on the rink / sheet is deceptive, they are not as long as they look on tv.

Visitors

We had a visit from Olympic Mascot Tina the Stoat, entertaining the crowd and the volunteers. Dame Katherine Grainger was spotted spectating at the mens match. No signs of Steve Cram, commentators now live in little cabins in the broadcast compounds!