Los Angeles to Host 2009 World Figure Skating Championships at Staples Center

The International Skating Union has chosen Los Angeles as the host city for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, the US Figure Skating Association announced. Competition is scheduled for 23-29 March 2009 at Staples Center, which also serves as the home venue for NBA and NHL franchises.

It will be the 12th time the United States has hosted the event, one short of the all-time record held by Germany. The championships, which date to 1896, will carry added significance as a qualifying milestone for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, with results determining how many athletes each nation may enter.

Los Angeles previously hosted the 2002 US figure skating championships, drawing more than 125,000 spectators, a record for that competition. The 2009 worlds will be the fifth US-hosted edition since 1987; Washington held the most recent, in 2003.

In a format change approved at this year's ISU Congress in Budapest, qualifying rounds have been eliminated. The program will consist of short programs and free skates for women, men, and pairs, plus three ice dance segments.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.