The U.S. Gymnastics Championships will be held Aug. 15-18 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. USA Gymnastics officials have confirmed that single-session tickets are on sale now. 2012 Olympic team gold-medalist and defending U.S. all-around champion Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts’ Twistars USA, was recently in the Hartford area to promote the U.S. Championships and the tickets going on sale. A well-attended event is expected.
The competition schedule is: Aug. 15 – women’s gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m. and seniors at 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 16 – men’s gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m. and seniors at 7 p.m.; Aug. 17 – women’s gymnastics, juniors at 2 p.m. and seniors at 7:30 p.m.; and Aug. 18 – men’s gymnastics, seniors at 11:30 a.m. and juniors at 6:30 p.m. Times listed are Eastern.
Single-session tickets range in price from $20 to $99. Multi-session packages are also available: men’s package – all men’s sessions (junior and senior), Aug. 16 and 18, $85-135; women’s first day of competition package – junior and senior women’s sessions, Aug. 15, $70-125; women’s final day of competition package -- junior and senior women’s sessions, Aug. 17, $85-135; and men’s and women’s package – senior women on Aug. 17 and senior men on Aug. 18, $85-135. All-session tickets, which range in price from $125-$395, are also on sale, and the top-priced ticket is for the best seat location and includes an autographed commemorative poster. Prices include facility fees and vary according to ticket location. Tickets are available through several different avenues: Ticketmaster.com; calling 1-800-745-3000; or the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center. For group tickets, please call 860-548-2000. For more information, go to usagym.org/events.
The U.S. Gymnastics Championships, previously known as the Visa Championships, determine U.S. champions and the U.S. national team for the junior and senior elite levels. The field will be determined closer to the competition. USA Gymnastics will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in Hartford, along with recognizing the members of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Three women’s gold-medal teams comprise the 2013 class for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame: 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Team, aka the Fierce Five that won the Olympic team title in London; 2007 Women’s World Championships Team, which won the World team gold medal in Stuttgart, Germany; and the 2007 Women’s World Tumbling Team, which won the World tumbling team title in Quebec City, Quebec.
John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./ U.S. Olympic Training Center, and Wieber won the men’s and women’s U.S. all-around titles, respectively, at the 2012 nationals. The roster of former U.S. all-around champions is a veritable who’s who of gymnastics, including: women – Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton; and men – Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar and Bart Conner. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women.
The annual USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show is a three-day educational event open to the entire gymnastics community. Held in conjunction with the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Congress provides a unique opportunity for presentations, demonstrations and educational seminars on a variety of topics and a large exhibitor’s hall with additional business opportunities.
Hartford hosted both the national championships and USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show in 2010.
About the Connecticut Convention Center: The Connecticut Convention Center, which has more than 205,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, is the site for the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show. The facility offers an outdoor esplanade overlooking the Connecticut River and is connected to both the Hartford Marriott Downtown and the Connecticut Science Center.
About the XL Center: The XL Center, managed by AEG Connecticut, will host two days of competition for both men's and women's gymnastics. The XL Center is home to the University of Connecticut Men's & Women's Basketball teams along with the Connecticut Whale, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Rangers. In addition to resident teams, the XL Center entertains millions of visitors annually with a variety of concerts, family shows, sporting events, consumer & trade shows. The XL Center is Connecticut's home for premier sports & entertainment.
About USA Gymnastics: Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.
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