The Korea Roller Sports Federation has secured priority rights to host the 2027 World Speed Skating Championships in South Korea. The event is expected to be held in the country once a domestic host city is confirmed.
The Korea Roller Sports Federation said Monday that federation President Kim Gyeong-seok met with World Skate President Sabatino Aracu and Sports Director Francesco Zangarini in Rome on June 15, on the sidelines of the 2026 World Skate Boarding Tour (WST) Rome Street World Cup, to discuss the 2027 World Speed Skating Championships. At the meeting, Kim requested that Korea be granted priority rights to host the event. He highlighted Korea's track record of successfully staging single-discipline roller sports world championships and multi-discipline international competitions from the early 2000s through last year, emphasizing the country's contribution to promoting roller sports globally and raising competitive standards.
According to the federation, Aracu expressed gratitude for Korea's capabilities and efforts and agreed to grant Korea the right to host the 2027 World Speed Skating Championships. In response to Aracu's remark that he hoped for good news soon given the tight timeline, Kim said: "Korea held local elections earlier in June, which brought in newly elected heads of local governments, so we need extra time to introduce the sport and the event to them — making the schedule even tighter. But a crisis can become an opportunity." Aracu said he shared that view and agreed to cooperate in bringing the event to fruition.
With the priority rights secured through considerable effort, the federation said finding a host city is now its most urgent task. On June 19, it sent official letters to local governments that operate World Skate-certified speed skating venues across the country, as well as to regional federations, informing them of the opportunity and inviting expressions of interest in hosting the 2027 championships.
"There is no question that many hurdles remain before the event can actually be held, but the level of interest we have seen in such a short time makes it well worth pursuing," Kim said. He added that he hoped the occasion would allow Korea to host the World Speed Skating Championships for the first time in 17 years since Yeosu in 2011, once again showcasing the country's strength on the world stage.
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