Gold medals are not handed out for architectural design, but the environmentally friendly speed skating arena built for the Vancouver Olympics is being called a winner by the bladed athletes who will compete there this month.

The Richmond Olympic Oval, considered the signature building of the Games, contains salvaged wood damaged by a pine-beetle infestation and has a massive roof shaped like a wave.

“We compete in some nice ovals that have been built as Olympic facilities in the past,” defending 5,000 meters champion Chad Hedrick of the United States told Reuters. “This one here obviously outdoes all of them. They went big on this.

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