On thin ice: Canadian speed skaters fear loss of ice at Calgary's Olympic Oval

The fastest ice in the world is on borrowed time.

Calgary's Olympic Oval is a legacy of the 1988 Winter Games in the city and the oldest of three covered speed skating ovals in Canada.

The building that turns 38 years old this year has been a centre of international, university and community sport well past its expected life cycle.

Speedskaters who trained there have produced 36 Olympic medals with Catriona Le May Doan, Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes and Denny Morrison among the alumni.

The Olympic Oval's ability to make ice is nearing end of life, because there are more and more brine leaks among the 400 pipe connections under its expansive floor.

"Everything that can be maintained, we've done," said Oval director Mark Messer, who has worked at the facility since its inception.

"The only way to actually fix this is to replace the floor. That's most urgent. If we can't make ice, we're not an ice building.

"We've got more leaks now, so it's a matter of time before we have a catastrophic failure and can't do ice."

The Oval will again draw the world's fastest skaters Friday to Sunday for one of many World Cups it's hosted over the years, in addition to over a dozen world championships.

A pair of Olympic medallists on Canada's long-track team are worried about an ice fail before next year's Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

"We're not even sure if the ice system is going to hold up until we leave for the next Games," said Ivanie Blondin. "It's hanging on by a thread right now. It's uneasy feeling for all the athletes for sure."

Said teammate Isabelle Weidemann: "It crushes my heart a little bit that Mark Messer and his team of guys that are part of that maintenance crew are working so hard to limp it forward.

"It definitely sits on the team that we might not make it to 2026. The fact we might not make it to even that point is really crushing."

Almost a dozen players on Canada's Olympic women's hockey teams, including Hayley Wickenheiser, played club hockey at the Oval.