U.S. Synchronized Championship in town this weekend after long COVID-19 hiatus

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The pandemic has impacted some sports more than others. Synchronized skating was one of them.

"Everyone is at the peak of their season, and everyone is ready to show what they have and what they've been working on all season," says Maia Laats, Haydenettes team member. "And everyone is just so supportive. Like the cheers from everyone across all teams when you are competing at nationals is just so special."

You can imagine with big teams of skaters it was hard to keep athletes on the ice the last two years.

"This is the first nationals back obviously since our last competition pre-COVID-19 was Nationals 2020 and this is the combination of all the last two years and all the hard work we've put in," says Elissa Kempisty, Haydenettes team member.

This weekend about 1,700 athletes will be in Colorado Springs competing at the Broadmoor World Arena.

"In synchronized it is very difficult to maintain a 6-foot social distanced separation," says Lois Long, the event chief official. "So for many of them, they couldn't touch each other and just to be able now to come back together to be able to skate like they had been."

The competition wraps up Saturday night. Junior Worlds is in a few weeks, and Senior Worlds is in April.