Little Caesars Arena has been selected to host the 2019 US Figure Skating Championships.
The newly-opened 22,000-capacity arena will hold all junior free skate/dance and championship level events, while the Detroit Skating Club will host all junior short programs/dance, novice, intermediate and juvenile events.
The event that will take place in January 2019. Tickets will go on sale in early 2018.
The US Championships serves as the final qualifying event to make the US World Figure Skating Team every year, and the US Olympic Team every four years.
The event annually attracts more than 1,700 athletes, coaches, officials and media to the host community and is estimated to generate more than $18m in local economic impact.
“US Figure Skating is excited for the return of the US Championships to Detroit for the first time since 1994,” US Figure Skating president Sam Auxier said.
“Detroit and all of Michigan is a skating hotbed that is home to many of our top athletes, both past and present. Detroit, highlighted by the newly opened Little Caesars Arena and downtown redevelopment, will be a great host to our athletes, coaches officials and fans from around the country. It will be a wonderful event in one of the great, new venues in our country.”
Kris Smith, director of the Detroit Sports Commission, said: “Suburban Detroit is the epicentre for world-class figure skating, so we feel the nation’s most prestigious figure skating event is coming home.
“The metro Detroit community is primed and ready to showcase our great destination, while raising the bar like we always do to make this the best championship experience yet. We believe we have the best venue in the country in Little Caesars Arena and partners such as the Mayor’s Office, 313 Presents, the Detroit Skating Club and Detroit Metro Skating Council.”
Little Caesars Arena opened in September this year and cost $862.9m to construct. It is the new home to both NHL ice hockey franchise the Detroit Red Wings and NBA basketball team Detroit Pistons.
Image: Kevin Rushforth
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