Will Figure Skating Championship Light the Fire to Local Economy?
Local businesses hope for economic boost
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Will Skating Championship Light Economic Fire? Video by kmtv.com
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It's taken a lifetime of practice to take a twirl in the rink. About 370 of the best figure skaters in the world are in Omaha, competing for the country's top title. A win here, will get them closer to the Olympics and it took a lot of legwork from the city to get them here. The economic stakes are high.
Harold Cliff with the Omaha Sports Commission says, " We're estimating between $15-20 million, closer to $20-million probably." Skaters, coaches and families have literally taken over hotels. The metro has about 10,000 rooms. About 8,000 are booked for the competition. One key selling point for Omaha, the CenturyLink layout.
Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi says, "The set up here is just incredible. To have a practice rink and the main arena in walking distance."
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