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SALT LAKE CITY — The venues of Sochi range from the Fisht Stadium with its transparent roof, slopes designed by a former Olympian to transportable ice rinks.
Each of the Olympic Games has brought with it state-of-the-art venues. During the games, the venues host prestigious athletes and exciting competitions. After the Olympic torch is extinguished, locals and Olympians-in-training frequent the venues. In Sochi, the 11 venues are the most compact in Olympic history, with an easy traverse from one to the other, according to the Sochi website.
The Ice Cube is Sochi's smallest Olympic venue and is dedicated solely to curling. The center — currently part of a cluster of venues, including the Fisht Olympic Stadium — can be moved to another location after the games. Similarly, the Iceberg Skating Palace could be moved.
The track of Sanki Sliding Center will be slower than the Vancouver 2010 track on which Georgian luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed and later died of his injuries. He was sliding at speeds greater than 90 mph when he crashed on the track that had raised concerns before the crash.
The slopes of Rosa Khutor Alpine Center, hosting all downhill, slalom and combined events, were designed by renowned ski architect Bernhard Russi. The Olympic and World Cup alpine ski racer designed his first Olympic downhill course in 1988.
KSL.com will be counting down with fun facts about the Sochi Olympic Games. Watch every Tuesday and Thursday for the feature.
