Originally designed and built as a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Richmond Olympic Oval has been transformed from a long track speed skating rink to into an international center of excellence for sport, health and wellness. And beginning this fall, PlaySight cameras will be streaming, recording, and tracking all sports action, including basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, martial arts & more.
What began as a single speed skating rink is now a community-driven multi-sport park supporting athletes from the Vancouver area across all sports and all levels, from national teams to recreational and youth leagues and teams. The 362,000 square foot facility houses two hockey rinks, two running tracks, a climbing wall, a rowing tank, and multi-sport area for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and table tennis.
Staying true to its Olympic roots, the Oval is the official training center for some of Canada’s top national teams: Volleyball Canada National Women’s Team, Table Tennis Canada, Speed Skating Canada and Wheelchair Rugby.
No athlete will ever be an Olympian without hard work, dedication, and training starting from a young age. The Oval hosts programs for all ages and level of sport. From youth summer camps to their High Performance Training Program, the Oval prides itself on building the next generation of Canadian athletic excellence:
“[The Oval’s] programs and services provide athletes with the physical foundation, performance mindset, technical sport skills and nutritional knowledge necessary to successfully and seamlessly make the jump to National team programs. Richmond Oval High Performance contributes to Canadian Sport Excellence over the long term. We work with a continuum of high performance athletes starting as young as twelve through to current Olympic medal contenders. It is not unrealistic to think that a future gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Games or 2022 Winter games is currently training in Oval High Performance.”
The Oval is also open to members of the Richmond and Vancouver community. For a membership fee, they too can get and stay fit at the Oval’s 22,000 square foot, state-of-the-art gym fitness center.
Stay tuned for lots of great sports action from the Oval, streamed and recorded by PlaySight cameras, beginning this fall. From the next generation of athletes to current Olympians, all Oval athletes are sure to benefit from PlaySight’s real-time video, coaching & analysis tools, live streaming, video breakdowns and overall performance enhancement Smart sports platform.
