Montreal’s Olympic Park, Site of Canadian Trials in May, Closed Due to Fire

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

Olympic Park sport complex in Montreal, the site of the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials from May 13-19, remains closed one week after a fire erupted around the Olympic Stadium tower in the early hours of the morning last Thursday.

The Olympic Park sports center is inaccessible until at least April 2nd, and officials indicated it could be a gradual reopening due to significant water and smoke damage.

The facility’s closure is impacting more than 4,000 people who use it on a regular basis, including hundreds of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Montreal police said the fire was likely started by a person, but the arson squad is still working to determine whether it was accidental or deliberate.

“The dust from the fire went inside the sports center and inside the vent system, so now we have a lot of fine particles,” Olympic Park spokesperson Cedric Essiminy said. ” On April 2nd, we will have a broader view of what’s been affected and what needs to be done. We will also be able to give a correct schedule how we can open.”

The Invitation Internationale Neptune 2024 was initially slated for April 4-7 at Olympic Park, but that meet must now be rescheduled due to the closure. Classes and activities have also been postponed, including swimming lesson registration.

Olympic Park was constructed in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Olympic Stadium is the former home of the Montreal Expos, who relocated in 2004 to Washington, D.C.

SwimSwam: Montreal’s Olympic Park, Site of Canadian Trials in May, Closed Due to Fire