WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — The sport may not be hugely known, but Rhode Island is going to get a chance to see some massive feats on the ice a little over a year from now.
Instead of synchronized swimming, it’s synchronized skating. Big teams of talented ice skaters come together on the ice to move together as a unit, rather than one or two speeding or dancing across the rink.
The Providence-Warwick metro area is hosting the 2020 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
The Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the event at Warwick’s Thayer Arena, which will serve as a practice site. Mayor Joseph Solomon joined reps from the Rhode Island Sports Commission and Warwick’s Figure Skaters for the announcement Monday. The team will be the host organization for the championship.
“The Warwick Figure Skaters are nationally known and are a great source of pride in our community,” Solomon said. “As the official practice complex for the skating championship, we look forward to hosting the skaters, their families, coaches and fans in Warwick, and showcasing the many dining, entertainment and lodging options our City has to offer.”
The main championship itself will take place in Providence at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
About 3,000 athletes, their families, and fans will be converging on Providence and Warwick for the competition, by a Rhode Island Sports Commission estimate. It will take place February 25 through March 1, 2020.
“We have a longstanding relationship with U.S. Figure Skating, having hosted this event in 2008 and 2015,” Rhode Island Sports Commission Executive Director John Gibbons said. “I think it speaks to the quality of our destination and the caliber of our hospitality community that we are able to earn this lucrative repeat business.”
According to the championship organization’s website, the first year of the championship in the United States was 1984, and there are about 600 teams registered with U.S. Figure Skating.