Kansas City, Mo. — With the 2017 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships only 30 days away, Kansas City continues to prepare for the big event, expecting to welcome 75,000 spectators throughout the course of the 10-day event. The U.S. Championships, which will return to the KC metro for the first time since 1985, is the nation’s most prestigious figure skating competition, featuring the sport’s biggest names.
”U.S. Figure Skating is counting the days until the 2017 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships next month in Kansas City,” said David Raith, U.S. Figure Skating executive director. “We encourage the people of KC to come support this one-of-a-kind event and watch the best figure skaters in the country vie for the title of U.S. champion. Figure skating is something you have to see in person to truly appreciate the athleticism, artistry and difficultly that characterize the sport.”
Presented locally by Crown Center, the U.S. Championships will take place in both Kansas City (Sprint Center) and Independence (Silverstein Eye Centers Arena), Jan. 14–22. The local organizing committee—which includes Visit KC, the Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation and Sprint Center—anticipate increased traffic for hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues during these dates. Additionally, Visit KC estimates the event will result in a direct economic impact of $18.1 million.
Tickets to attend the competition are still available, with prices starting at $13. Fans can purchase single-session admission for each of the program categories, as well as ticket packages for Championship Weekend and the Smucker's Skating Spectacular. Check 2017uschampionships.com/tickets for deals, discounts and full ticketing details.
U.S. figure skaters have won more Olympic medals than any other country in history, with 48 total and 15 gold. The national event gives fans the opportunity to witness the best in American competition, as well as get a glimpse of Olympic hopefuls for the upcoming 2018 Games in South Korea.
About Visit KC
Visit KC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, Visit KC supports a vital and growing component of the local economy—generating more than 46,000 jobs and $5.1 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.
About U.S. Figure Skating
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 700 member clubs, collegiate clubs, school-affiliated clubs and more than 1,000 registered Learn to Skate USA programs representing more than 181,700 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.
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