Taiwanese sports fans will see the world’s top skaters in action when the 2011 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (FCC) kicks off Feb. 17 at the Taipei Arena.
Endorsed by the Switzerland-based International Skating Union, the FCC is considered one of the four biggest figure skating competitions in the world, along with the Winter Olympic Games, World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships.
“We negotiated for 10 years with the ISU to bring the event to Taiwan,” said Li Guang-huai, secretary-general of organizer Chinese Taipei Skating Union. “It's certainly worth our efforts. This is the largest skating event Taiwan has ever hosted.”
According to Li, 93 athletes from 16 countries will compete in the men's, ladies, pairs and ice dance categories during the four-day event. Taiwan will be represented by a squad of six young skaters in the first two categories.
Mao Asada from Japan, 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalist, will show off her talent in the ladies competition, while her fellow Japanese Daisuke Takahashi, 2010 world champion, will vie for the men’s top spot.
Also participating are 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalists in pairs skating Pang Jing and Tong Jian from mainland China, and gold medalists in ice dance Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir from Canada.
On Feb. 20, this year’s champions will stage an all-star performance with Taiwan’s skaters to wrap up the event, which has attracted more than 30 media crews from Canada, Europe, Japan, mainland China, South Korea and the United States, Li said.
Attendance to the competitions is free, and tickets are available through online registration. (HZW)
More information is available at the event’s official website:
http://figureskating.com.tw/2011FCC/eng/default.php
Write to Meg Chang at meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.tw