CALGARY - The fastest ice in the world that's on borrowed time may have a lifeline.

Calgary's Olympic Oval, a legacy of the 1988 Winter Games in the city, will soon lose its ability to make ice because of brine leaks among 400 pipe connections under its 38-year-old floor.

The Oval has been a hub of international, university and community sport since it was completed in 1987 for $40 million.

A speedskating World Cup from Friday to Sunday will be the second at the Oval in 2025, and again draw the world's best in the sport.

Canadian athletes who train there year-round are worried, however, about how long the aging system can hold out.

"We had some pretty difficult conditions this summer with the ice surface," said Olympic medallist Ivanie Blondin. "It's on its last leg."

Federal, provin

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