COLORADO SPRINGS — More than 1,200 student athletes from all around the world are in Colorado Springs this week for the World Jump Rope Championships.
"Not only this year and the economic impact to date, but the longevity of showing the world that we, Colorado Springs can host huge international events right here in our backyard," said Megan Leatham with Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.
The athletes are competing in two styles of jumping or skipping rope, speed and freestyle.
"I feel like we have a very good chance at certain events," said Katelyn Atkinson, a Jump Rope Coach for Team USA. "A lot of teams here are very, very fast. It's super impressive to watch all of the different countries compete here."
A parent of an athlete for the Australian team told News5 that an athlete can spend around 15 hours practicing. That training ramps up as competitions get closer.
The event's organizers have been working on bringing this event here since 2021, they say that having an international event like this creates a great opportunity to put the city on the map.
The competition started earlier this week at Ed Robson Arena at Colorado College, and will continue through the weekend.
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