A few months before the Paris Games, the Montreal Olympic Park announced Wednesday that the closure of the Institut national du sport du Québec and the sports center will extend from four to six months.
A fire that occurred during the night of March 20 to 21 is to blame. Although the tower structure was not affected, noxious smoke and water from firefighters caused significant damage.
Some 275 people are currently working on assessing the damage, decontaminating and cleaning the site. All 14 floors of the tower are closed until further notice.
“The windows near the source of the fire exploded because of the heat,” explained Cédric Essiminy, public relations advisor for the Olympic Park. Smoke entered the INS sports center and the ventilation system, bringing and dispersing soot throughout the floors.
Several athletes train and practice their sport at INS Québec. This is particularly the case for divers and judokas.
The Olympic swimming trials were also scheduled to take place there from May 13 to 19.
“This is an event that is beyond our control and that affects a lot of people,” added Essiminy. Not only the employees and athletes preparing for the Games, but also the 4,000 members who [utilisent les infrastructures].
“We are working with everyone to try, as much as possible, to find solutions to help all the people who are impacted by this event. »
The Paris Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8.
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