The two biggest national championships in roller sports are coming to Fort Wayne next summer.

USA Roller Sports (USARS) has awarded the city the speed-skating and figure-skating national championships in the summer of 2011, a three-week event that the convention bureau estimates will generate $5 million to $6 million for the city.

"Fort Wayne makes a great fit for families," Roller Dome South co-owner Kim Wall said, "and this is all about families."

The event will run July 16 to Aug. 8 next year and will take place at Memorial Coliseum. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people are expected to travel to Fort Wayne for the championships, officials announced.

The Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention & Visitors Bureau made a pitch to USARS at a meeting in Las Vegas, and the skating organization called the next day to make a deal.

Wall said he stood in the back of the room during the meeting and overheard USARS officials say it was the best presentation they'd ever seen. A clip of Fort Wayne produced by Punch Films emphasized not only the location, but the huge number of hotels, restaurants and family-friendly venues for out-of-town visitors. Parking at the coliseum was also a huge selling point.

"If we're successful with this, we have a chance to have a long-term commitment over several years," Wall said.

Wall said the idea to bring the national championships to Fort Wayne was conceived in the 1970s by his late father, Jim. Wall's mother, Marg, still owns Roller Dome North.

The stumbling block in the 1970s was a long-term agreement with Lincoln, Neb., and Fort Worth, Texas, to hold the championships. Two years ago, USARS decided to open bidding to medium-size cities.

Fort Wayne earned the 2011 bid over Lincoln, Peoria, Ill., and Des Moines, Iowa.

Local coach Brian Weidler, who also has competed nationally, said he has been to the championships in three cities and he expects Fort Wayne to become an immediate favorite.

"This is the nicest facility they've been to, that I can remember," Weidler said. "When everybody comes here to our coliseum and sees the mall, the shopping, the food, the hotel and the parking, they'll be amazed and …want to come back."

Championships will be conducted in all age groups, age 8 and above, in both male and female divisions. USARS uses Olympic ice skater Apolo Ohno in its promotional materials because he started his career in roller skating.

USARS will set up its own floor, the size of three basketball courts. The figure-skating portion will take about two weeks; speed-skating will take one week.

"It's huge," Weidler said. "The place is packed with racers from all over the country. You'll see racers you've never seen before, but you've heard about them, and you're just in awe. …It's amazing."