Spokane has been selected as a finalist to host a new ice skating championship event. Star USA, which organizes sporting events, was informed Friday by U.S. Figure Skating that Spokane is in the running to host the first Team Challenge Cup from April 22-24 in 2016. In the Team Challenge, skaters will compete for one of three teams: Team North America, Team Europe or Team Asia. Each team will have three women, three men, two pair teams and two ice dancer teams, according to a letter received by Star USA from U.S. Figure Skating informing the group that Spokane was a finalist. Participants will be selected after the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships. “Literally every time somebody steps on the ice, they’re going to be one of the best skaters on earth,” said Barb Beddor, vice president of Star USA. Spokane hosted the 2007 and 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which were organized by Star USA. The 2010 event still holds the attendance record for the championship. The 2007 event is the second-highest attended.

This article was corrected on July 18, 2015 to correct the dates of the event. They initially were incorrect due to an editor’s error.