USOC Announces Road to Rio Events

The United States Olympic Committee has announced details of the 2016 Road to Rio Tour, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, which will continue its journey around the country with stops in six cities, bringing the spirit and excitement of the Rio Games to fans throughout the United States. The tour, which began with three stops in 2015, next visits New York City for the 100 Day Countdown celebration in Times Square on Wednesday, April 27. The tour engages fans through athlete meet-and-greets, interactive sport elements, athlete demonstrations, Team USA giveaways and sponsor activation.

100 Day Countdown

The 100 Day Countdown has become a celebrated event in the lead up to each Olympic Games. More than 50 Team USA athletes began the day on NBC’s TODAY show, launching the official countdown while showcasing their sports and previewing the 2016 Games. Athletes include:

• Willie Banks (track and field), two-time Olympian

• David Boudia (diving), Olympic gold medalist

• Jordan Burroughs (wrestling), Olympic gold medalist

• Jessica Long (Paralympic swimming), 12-time Paralympic gold medalist

• Tatyana McFadden (Paralympic track and field), 11-time Paralympic medalist

• Members of the U.S. women’s basketball team

The event will feature athlete demonstrations in sports such as fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, judo, table tennis and wrestling – all in the heart of Times Square. New for 2016, the event will include a zip line for fans to slide from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain over the activation, a sport court to host multiple fan activities and sport demos, and the AT&T stage for live music performances, athlete interviews and samba dancers.

Team USA will be joined in celebrating the 100 Day Countdown by the Grammy® Award-winning superstars The Band Perry. The sibling trio will perform on NBC’s TODAY show in the morning and return to the stage that evening at the Road to Rio Tour for a 100 Days Out performance, which is free and open to the public.  

 “We have the most passionate fans in the world, and because of events like 100 Days Out and the Road to Rio Tour, we are able to bring the energy of the Games to more Americans than ever before,” said Lisa Baird, USOC chief marketing officer. “Fans are able to meet these amazing athletes and, through interactive sport elements, grow a deeper appreciation of the dedication and determination it takes to reach the next level, which is all possible thanks to our generous and creative sponsors.”

Toast to Team USA, presented by Bridgestone

The Toast to Team USA, presented by Bridgestone, will kick-off the 100 Day Countdown festivities in New York with a preview party at the Museum of Modern Art on April 26. The evening cocktail party will welcome 300 Team USA supporters and nearly two dozen athletes with Brazilian-inspired food and bossa nova music.

“It is an honor to join the USOC in toasting Team USA as these elite athlete and competitors prepare for Rio 2016,” said Phil Pacsi, vice president of sports/event marketing and training at Bridgestone. “At Bridgestone we strive for superior performance in all of our products and business endeavors, and we are excited to celebrate the spirit of performance that is so evident in Team USA.”

The evening will also feature a special unveiling in a nod to “The Team Behind the Team.” New to the 2016 Games, the USOC created a Rio-themed showcase that will exhibit the unique support of all 47 Team USA sponsors. Each sponsor received an authentic, full-size surfboard and has turned it into a piece of customized art that illustrates the heart of their brands and their passion for the U.S. Olympic Movement. All 47 surfboards will be unveiled at the Toast to Team USA on April 26. They will then travel to Rio de Janeiro where they will be on display throughout the Games at USA House, the USOC’s business and hospitality center.

Three Team USA inspired surfboards will also be unveiled as a part of the Rio-themed showcase, bringing the total number of surfboards to 50. Hurley, global leader for in-water innovation and subsidiary of Nike Inc., designed the additional surfboards for the USOC. The Olympic Board, Paralympic Board and Team USA Board were inspired by Hurley’s Olympic Summer collection.

The Toast to Team USA continues with two additional stops before the Rio Games. The second stop will be held in Chicago on July 8 at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the final stop will take place in Los Angeles on July 22 at Paley Center for Media.

Road to Rio Tour, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance

Following the 100 Day Countdown, the Road to Rio Tour will continue its journey around the country with five more stops in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The tour will visit the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Canoe/Kayak in Oklahoma City May 7-8, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving in Indianapolis June 24-25, the Taste of Chicago July 6-10, the Team USA Send Off in Los Angeles July 23-24, and the Paralympic Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham Sept. 10.

Like the 100 Day Countdown, the stops will feature athlete meet and greets, and interactive sport participation, including basketball and beach volleyball courts, a zip line and a stage for live entertainment. Virtual-reality technology will invite fans to experience pole vaulting, beach volleyball, gymnastics and diving, and through green-screen technology, fans can capture their own gold medal moment in a number of Olympic settings.

New to the “Road to…” tour series, the Rio edition expanded to the year before the Games. The tour made three stops in 2015, logging more than 6,500 miles and engaging more than 91,000 Team USA fans. Also new is the addition of an athlete spokesperson for the tour, Olympic gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin, who will make appearances at various cities throughout the tour. The five-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics captured the gold medal in the women’s all-around at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

“The Road to Rio Tour is a great celebration of the American Olympic spirit, and Liberty Mutual Insurance is excited to help bring this event to Team USA fans across the country,” said Melanie Foley, chief talent and enterprise services officer.  “Through our Medals Pavilion at the Road to Rio stops, we’ll be able to excite fans about Team USA’s prospects of bringing home medals from the Rio Games, each of which we will proudly insure!”

The USOC has continued to grow and enhance its marketing activation platforms to bring the Olympic and Paralympic movements to life in the United States, while providing USOC sponsors with opportunities to engage with fans. In addition to presenting sponsor Liberty Mutual Insurance, proud associate sponsors include airweave, AT&T, BP, Citi, Kellogg’s and Samsung. AT&T will also serve as the stage sponsor.

All Road to Rio Tour stops are free and open to the public. See below for the full 2015-2016 circuit. For more information about the Road to Rio Tour, visit TeamUSA.org/RoadToRio.