MILWAUKEE — The Olympic journey to Milan and Cortina begins in Milwaukee, where the Pettit National Ice Center is creating specialized ice conditions to prepare athletes for the 2026 Winter Games.
With just six months until the Winter Olympics begin in Italy, crews at the Pettit National Ice Center are laying down what they call "Olympic Ice" — designed to mimic the conditions athletes will face on the world stage.
"The passion for speed skating is alive and well here in Milwaukee," said Paul Golomski, General Manager of the Pettit National Ice Center.
Golomski has worked at the facility for 24 years and is known to some as "the ice guy." This week, he's overseeing one of the most important traditions: transforming the rink for Olympic hopefuls.
"Our goal is to get people to skate as fast as they possibly can on this track so, we create a micro climate in the facility, so outside its 85 and sunny, inside its 45 degrees while we're putting ice in, the humidity is low and dry, so we're creating this micro climate in order to make really good conditions for future races," Golomski said.
The process is meticulous and requires precise environmental control.
"We're building the ice primarily with a hose, so we're flooding the ice layer by layer, and will build it up to about an inch, before we let speed skaters or public skaters out there," Golomski said.
Watch: The Pettit Center prepares 'Olympic ice' as Winter Games countdown begins
The transformation follows a specific timeline and technique.
"We drop temps from 55 degrees to 15 degrees in a 24-hour period then we lay a thin layer of ice down on the concrete to get a bond in the floor. From that point we get our white base down and go out and lay down all of our lines, it's about a 3-day process," Golomski said.
Training for U.S. Speedskating officially kicks off Aug. 18. And in true Pettit fashion, it's open to the public.
"People that drive by it every day don't realize how unique the facility is there's only 40 of these in the world right now," Golomski said.
The Pettit Center is one of just two facilities like it in the United States. For Milwaukee, it's more than just a rink — it's a launchpad for Olympic dreams.
"What's neat is any kid can come learn how to speed skate, they can be a part of that," Golomski said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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