The Americans and Canadians are battling for a gold medal on Sunday and there’s complaining about being awake at 8 AM?
Alarm is already set for Sunday. This is a non-negotiable. Start the coffee pot, click on the toaster and buckle in.
For gold.
Playing on even slightly frozen turf can cause root shear damage affecting up to 50–70% of the sward in high-wear areas (goal mouths, centre circle).
Recovery time after frozen-pitch damage can increase by 4–6 weeks, even with remedial work.
One frozen match can undo months of winter maintenance.
Frozen pitches often exceed 100g on a Clegg Impact Hammer, compared with:
60–80g for a good winter playing surface
<60g for elite-level standards
Many leagues consider surfaces unplayable above ~90–100g.
Studies and insurance data consistently show a 2–3× increase in lower-limb injuries when matches are played on even slightly frozen or heavily frosted natural turf.
Trust your grounds team!