Prague reports a record: the World Figure Skating Championships attracted over 127,000 spectators

PRAGUE - The World Figure Skating Championships, which took place this year in Prague's O2 Arena, recorded an extraordinary interest of the spectators. According to the International Skating Union (ISU), a total of 127,837 spectators attended the individual competition days, which represents the highest attendance ever for this championship.

Although the ISU does not systematically keep official long-term attendance statistics, the available data confirm that Prague broke the previous record of approximately 119 000 spectators from the previous championship in the United States. The Czech capital thus made history not only for its sporting quality but also for the extraordinary atmosphere in the auditorium. The organisers rate the event as an outstanding success. „The interest of the fans exceeded our expectations. The sold-out stands for most of the programme created a unique environment for athletes and spectators alike,“ said a representative of the organising committee. According to him, both the attractiveness of the sport itself and the strong participation of domestic athletes contributed to the high attendance.

Logistics and facilities also contributed to the positive image. The O2 arena managed to cope with the influx of fans without any major complications, also thanks to increased traffic and security measures. At the same time, the city of Prague saw an increased influx of tourists, which had a positive impact on the hotel and service industry. The sporting side of the championships offered exciting battles and top performances by the world's elite. The spectators appreciated not only the technical level of the competitions, but also the emotional performances, which are among the highlights of figure skating. The record attendance confirms the growing popularity of this sport and also shows that Prague is capable of hosting large international events at the highest level. According to experts, the success of the championship can contribute to the further development of figure skating in the Czech Republic and to strengthening its position on the world sports map.

gnews.cz - GH