Event Facts :

Venues: Primary Venue — The MCI Center
Practice Venue — Washington Convention Center

Competitors: Over 200 Olympic-eligible figure skaters from 50 countries will be competing for 4 world titles. World Champions will be crowned in the divisions of men's and women's singles, pairs and ice dancing.

Past Champions: Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Todd Eldredge, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Elvis Stojko, Katarina Witt, Chen Lu, Kurt Browning, Tara Lipinski, and Michelle Kwan.

Participants: The 2003 World Figure Skating Championship includes hundreds of athletes, coaches, parents, chaperones, and ISU and USFSA officials.

Volunteers: A volunteer force of approximately 2,000 people will work in areas such as transportation, hospitality, support services and communications.

Spectators: Over 200,000 spectators will attend the Championships, traveling from all over the world, and generating an economic impact of $30 million for Washington, DC.

Media Coverage: The World Championship are the highlight of the annual figure skating season, and one of the most covered sporting events world wide. In addition, approximately 500 credentials will be issued to members of the national and international media. Applications for media credentials will be available at a later date.

Tickets: All-Event tickets, which are currently on sale, include admission to the opening ceremonies, all competitive events, and all practice sessions. All-Event ticket holders may purchase tickets for the Exhibition of Champions at a discounted rate. Order forms can be obtained at the 2003 World Figure Skating Championship web site or by calling 202.661.5038.