Campbell's Classic To Kick Off Olympic Season in the U.S. on Oct. 8
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| Michelle Kwan Photo by Paul Harvath |
(7/25/05) — The 2005 Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic will take place Oct. 8, 2005, in St. Paul, Minn., kicking off the 2005-06 Olympic season in the United States with $200,000 up for grabs among the world's top figure skaters. Confirmed to compete at the event, which will feature an international field of ladies singles and men's singles, are five-time World and nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan, two-time World silver medalist Sasha Cohen, two-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir and 2005 World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek.
The Campbell's Classic returns to St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center after a successful event in 2004, during which Kwan took the $50,000 first-place prize for the ladies and 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Timothy Goebel won it for the men. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), the Campbell's Classic is the first major Olympic eligible figure skating competition for the Olympic season in the United States, and it will feature the new ISU judging system.
The one-day competition will be held at the Xcel Center at 7:30 p.m. Each athlete will perform one free skate, many of which will mark the debut of their Olympic season program. The remaining skaters will be announced as the event nears.
The $200,000 prize money marks an investment by U.S. Figure Skating to increase the level of competition and intensity at the invitational event. The following prize money will be allotted to the top six ladies and the top six men:
First Place: $50,000
Second Place: $25,000
Third Place: $15,000
Fourth Place: $5,000
Fifth Place: $3,000
Sixth Place: $2,000
Tickets for the Campbell's Classic go on sale Monday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m., and are available at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, at all Ticketmaster locations, through charge by phone at 651.989.5151 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Reserved seats will be priced at $60, $46.75, $31.75 and $21.75. Group discounts are available, call 651.312.3486 for more information. The event will be nationally broadcast by ABC Sports at a later date.
