The eight-day event, which for competitors is the first step toward qualifying for the 2014 Winter Games, will take place at the IceWorks complex in Aston. The victorious men's and women's teams among the 21 competing will automatically qualify for the 2014 U.S. Olympic trials and the 2012 world championships.
The juxtaposition of a large East Coast media market and a relatively obscure ice sport, one whose popularity base is in the upper Midwest, isn't as odd as it initially seems.
Curling could use the shot in the arm that a big-city championship can provide, and the Philadelphia area is eager to boost its young but growing relationship with the Olympic movement.
"We're always looking for things, even if it's not a home run, all-encompassing event like, say an all-star game, the Olympic gymnastics trials, or the NCAA championships," said Larry Needle, executive director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress (PSC). "We're looking for those events that not only fit nicely in our region but also really help us further our connection to the Olympic movement."
While there likely are too many hurdles for Philadelphia ever to be considered a viable candidate to host an Olympic Games, countless national championships and Olympic trials could land here.
In the 2008 run-up to the Summer Games in Beijing, for example, Philly was the site of the gymnastics and table tennis trials.
Curling's championships will produce a modest economic footprint. According to PSC estimates, the event will fill about 1,500 hotel rooms and generate $1.5 million in spending.
