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PLANS UNDERWAY FOR 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN VANCOUVER
The Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA) unveiled the plans for the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships. The event will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, March 19-25, 2001 at General Motors Place.
More that 220 skaters from nearly 50 countries are expected to take part in the four figure skating disciplines, ladies, men's, pairs and ice dance.
A first for the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships will be the addition of Skatefest. It will feature nightly entertainment, museum quality exhibits, interactive zones, video premieres, fireworks and a public presentation of the medals to the skaters following each evening's competition. More than 10,000 people are expected to take part in Skatefest daily.
SKATEFEST: A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
The energy and enthusiasm of skating will extend far beyond the main venue at the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships. Skatefest will allow everyone to share the experience. It will be a central meeting place at the Plaza of Nations where international visitors will mingle with local residents to celebrate the event, the athletes and the sport. The four-day Skatefest will be open to the public from Wednesday, March 21 to Saturday March 24, 2001 from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight. Admission will be free.
THE BIG SCREEN
A giant screen featuring coverage of the skating events at GM Place will serve as a backdrop for the stage. Film clips from previous World Championships, skater vignettes, and interviews with fans will also be shown throughout the day.
PUBLIC MEDAL PRESENTATIONS
Every evening, after the events have concluded at GM Place, there will be a public presentation of the gold, silver and bronze medals. The three medal winners will celebrate their victory with a public appearance, and have their medals re-presented.
CENTURY OF SKATING
Skatefest will be educational as well as entertaining. 100 YEARS OF SKATING Exhibits will display the milestones of the last 100 years of World Championships. It will profile former World Champions and chart the Road to Worlds - illustrating how a skater progresses from local, regional and national competitions to the World Championships.
THEATRE OF CHAMPIONS
Plaza Theatre will be renamed Theatre of Champions from March 21-24. For each of these four days, a new, specially produced figure skating film/video will be premiered. Each one will feature the life/career of a specific skater, or group of skaters in each of the four disciplines: Ladies; Men; Pairs; and Ice Dance. These Premiere Screenings will be an exclusive once-in-a-lifetime experience for 500 ticket purchasers. It will include displays of photos/memorabilia of the featured skater/discipline; post-screening celebrity guest appearance and talk/speech about the film; post-screening reception with autograph and photo session with featured skater; and video copy of the film. The following day, the film/video will be available for public screening.
INTERACTIVE ZONE
For people wanting an interactive experience, this zone will provide a variety of opportunities. INTERNET CAFÉ Visitors to the Café will be able to access the World's website to get the latest results, rankings, skater profiles, event and practice schedules. KISS 'N SMILE An actual replica of the Kiss 'N Cry area from GM Place will be renamed Kiss 'n' Smile at Skatefest. It will also serve as a backdrop for photo sessions where fans can recreate the Kiss 'n' Cry experience of their favorite skater, and capture themselves in a photograph. Fans can also get an autograph from the celebrity skates at the autograph booth. FAN'S CHOICE There will be competition on the website as well as the ice. Fans will be able to cast a vote for their favorite skaters through the World's website, using computer terminals on site. Votes will be tabulated and announced at the end of the competition.