The Olympic Oval was designed as the first covered speed skating oval in North America, and was the first at a Winter Olympics.
The indoor facility offered the ability to control climate conditions to produce the highest quality ice.

Construction of The Oval began in 1985, nearly four years after Calgary had been designated host of the XV Olympic Winter Games.
Like the Olympic Saddledome, most of the Oval's structure was built using precast, prestressed concrete.
Twenty eight beams were laid along the outside of the perimeter of the building to support 84 additional beams used to construct a lattice frame for the arched roof.
The interior scaffolding used to hoist these 84 beams had to be lowered a centimetre at a time in a predetermined sequence in order to distribute the load of the roof equally to each of the 28 exterior support beams.
Construction was completed by the end of the summer of 1987, officially opening in September 1987, five months before the Olympics.

It was during the speed skating events of the Olympic Winter Games in 1988 that The Oval became known as "The Fastest Ice in the World™," as world records were set in seven events (Men's 500 m, 1500 m, 10,000 m, and Women's 500 m, 1000 m, 3000 m, 5000 m), and Olympic records were set in the other three events (Men's 1500 m, 5000 m, and Women's 1500 m).
The combination of the climate-controlled facility and the effects of high altitude have been credited for the fast ice surface.

In 1991, the Oval hosted Speed Skating for the 1991 Winter Deaflympics held in Banff.

Throughout the last 32 years, over 300 world records have been set at the Oval.
By 2019, the Olympic Oval has produced (as a world class training facility) 32 Canadian Olympic medalists, including Ted-Jan Bloemen, who won a silver in the men's 5000m and a gold in the men's 10,000m at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in 2018.
The Olympic Oval was designed as the first covered speed skating oval in North America, and was the first at a Winter Olympics. The indoor facility offered the ability to control climate conditions to produce the highest quality ice.
Construction of The Oval began in 1985, nearly four years after Calgary had been designated host of the XV Olympic Winter Games. Like the Olympic Saddledome, most of the Oval's structure was built using precast, prestressed concrete. Twenty eight beams were laid along the outside of the perimeter of the building to support 84 additional beams used to construct a lattice frame for the arched roof. The interior scaffolding used to hoist these 84 beams had to be lowered a centimetre at a time in a predetermined sequence in order to distribute the load of the roof equally to each of the 28 exterior support beams. Construction was completed by the end of the summer of 1987, officially opening in September 1987, five months before the Olympics.
It was during the speed skating events of the Olympic Winter Games in 1988 that The Oval became known as "The Fastest Ice in the World™," as world records were set in seven events (Men's 500 m, 1500 m, 10,000 m, and Women's 500 m, 1000 m, 3000 m, 5000 m), and Olympic records were set in the other three events (Men's 1500 m, 5000 m, and Women's 1500 m). The combination of the climate-controlled facility and the effects of high altitude have been credited for the fast ice surface. 
In 1991, the Oval hosted Speed Skating for the 1991 Winter Deaflympics held in Banff.
Throughout the last 32 years, over 300 world records have been set at the Oval. By 2019, the Olympic Oval has produced (as a world class training facility) 32 Canadian Olympic medalists, including Ted-Jan Bloemen, who won a silver in the men's 5000m and a gold in the men's 10,000m at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in 2018.
Olympic Oval