OAKA Stadium and Velodrome shut down until static safety reviews are completed

All activities at the Olympic Stadium and the Velodrome at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA) will be suspended due to safety reasons, the stadium management announced on Friday.

Also suspended are all activities at the central circulation spine for the complex that connecting the Olympic Stadium and the Velodrome. The complex with its iconic arches was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, and opened for use at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

OAKA said that the decision was based on a report reviewing the metal structures and polycarbonic roofs at the OAKA sports complex, which "do not match the regulatory allowable levels of static adequacy." The report was carried out as part of a renovation agreement signed by the Sports Ministry, OAKA, and the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

The managers did not specify how long the suspension would last, but added that a second report would be drafted as quickly as possible, providing more details and confirming or rejecting the data provided by the first report.

If not resolved by end-October, the safety measure is expected to create problems for Panathinaikos FC in terms of its European games, as OAKA is its home turf during the Europa League games, with a game coming up on October 26 against Rennes (3rd round) and Maccabi Haifa on December 14 (6th or final round).