Montreal's Olympic Park sports complex to remain closed at least another week after fire

A major sports training complex in Montreal's Olympic Park will remain closed until at least next week following a fire. 

The sports centre and the National Sports Institute (INS) have been closed since last Thursday after flames broke out at the base of the Olympic Stadium tower, causing significant damages. 

The facilities were expected to be closed until at least Monday, but they will remain inaccessible until at least April 2, according to officials with the Olympic Park, which manages the facilities. 

"The soot that infiltrated the facility left deposits and fine particles in the air, so we need more time to assess the extent of the damage," said Olympic Park spokesperson Cédric Essiminy.

"We'll have a complete picture of the work to be done on April 2 before talking about reopening." 

All activities (including those in the fitness room and pools) as well as supervised classes are suspended until that date, with the exception of running classes, which will take place as planned in the Olympic Stadium.

But some athletes who train at the centre are now worried about their schedule ahead of the summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Julien Camus, coach of the national fencing team, says the closure comes "at a bad time," with just over 100 days to go before the start of the games.

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Fire at Montreal's Olympic Park sports complex forces closure months ahead of Paris Olympics

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As the cleanup continues, the facilities will be inaccessible to the elite athletes who train there until at least April 2. Montreal police say last week's fire outside the Olympic Stadium was likely started by a person, but it's too soon to say if it was accidental or deliberate.

"We've finished our Olympic qualification and we've had a bit of a rest, but we need to resume our final preparation for the Olympic Games soon, and we need access to the fitness room as soon as possible," he said. 

More than 4,000 people use the facilities on a regular basis including 250 to 350 Olympic and Paralympic athletes who train at the INS every day.

Paralympic boccia athlete Allison Levine is also keen to get back into the facilities sooner rather than later.

Although she plans to continue training solo in her apartment, she hopes to be back in her usual space before the Boccia World Cup in Montreal at the end of April.

"In a Paralympic year, an event like this is a bit stressful. I hope to be back with my coach and my teammate soon," Levine said.

According to Essiminy, reopening could take place gradually.

"We're trying to find solutions for a reopening plan, perhaps in a piecemeal fashion, but it's still too early to target a precise date," he said.