'Good luck' message to Australia's Winter Olympians

February 2, 2022

CANBERRA.— The ACT Ice Sports Federation today wished all of Australia's 43 Winter Olympians good luck and safe travels for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.

Australian curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt will lead the charge of Aussie ice sports Olympians, throwing their stones against a powerful USA mixed doubles team (at 11pm AEST 2 Feb) followed by an encounter against host nation, China (at noon 3 Feb). 

Gill and Hewitt are the first Australian curlers ever at the Winter Olympics.

"Everyone in the ice sports in Canberra will be wishing our fellow Australian ice sports competitors well," ACT Ice Sports Federation president Tony Prescott said today. "World and international championships are special events for competitors and teams, but the Olympics are the pinnacle as they bring  a number of the sports, the sub-disciplines of each sport and all of the world's athletes, coaches and officials together in one place at one time -- with the winter sport focus exclusively on them for the duration of the Games.

"With global competition comes the need for training camps, and pre-event tournaments, and the new twin-sheet ice sports facility will be in prime position to host such events and support Australia’s future Olympians.

"We're confident the construction of the new twin-sheet ice sports centre in Canberra will be world class and capable of hosting world, regional and various other international championship events.

"The new ice sports centre will also allow us to grow our existing Olympic ice sports, such as figure skating and ice hockey, as well establish new ice sports in the ACT such as curling and speed skating, and one day we could be fielding local Canberrans in the Winter Olympics.

"The power of the Olympics and sport in international relations cannot be underestimated, and we welcome the opportunities to maximise 'sports diplomacy' by leveraging ice sports and the new ice sports centre in the national capital in the years to come," Mr Prescott added.

Construction of the ice sports facility in Tuggeranong is another ACT Government supported sports infrastructure project that will create more jobs for Canberrans, both during the construction phase and in the operation of the new facility, and aligns with the Government’s focus on investing in infrastructure to help stimulate the COVID recovery.

"Canberra's ice sports community -- across broomball, figure skating and ice hockey -- has demonstrated its patience throughout the process as the ACT Government has worked deliberately to ensure the best community outcome," Mr Prescott said. 

The ACT Government tender, launched in 2019, specified the delivery of two Olympic-sized ice rinks, associated change rooms and amenities for participants and officials, and spectator capacity for at least 2000 people. The ACT Government has already announced its selection of Cruachan Investments as the proponent for the public-private partnership, and has identified a site on Rowland Rees Crescent in Greenway.

Cruachan Investments has submitted its final documentation, and the ice sports centre is now subject to a final government decision.

"The federation has worked in partnership with the ACT Government and Cruachan Investments throughout, and we are now eager to move beyond the administrative stage and see construction commence this year," Mr Prescott said. "We look forward to a world class arena that will attract national and international events. 

"It will provide a new home to improve access and growth in ice sports at the grassroots level, creating opportunities for some of our very own Olympians to come to Canberra to compete, perform and even coach into the future.

"The ice sports' trajectory in the ACT is exciting and we're very proud that a new facility will help us grow and potentially help Canberra kids realise their Olympic dreams,” he added.

The 43 Australian athletes -- of whom 19 are Olympic debutants -- will be  competing in five different sports over 10 events. The team is evenly divided with 22 female and 21 male athletes.

Five ice sports athletes who could one day visit the new facility in Tuggeranong, and whom Canberrans might want to especially watch in action are: curlers Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt; figure skaters Brendan Kerry and Kailani Craine; and short track speed skater Brendan Corey.

Note: Watch the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics live and free in Australia on Seven and 7plus, with coverage from 12pm AEDT on weekdays and 10am AEDT on weekends. 7plus is your Olympic Winter Games streaming destination, with up to 20 channels covering more sport live and on demand.