SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 5, 2016 – 2008 Olympic balance beam gold and team silver medalist Shawn Johnson is in the San Jose, Calif., area for a few days in the lead up to the Super Bowl to promote awareness of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials – Women’s Gymnastics, scheduled for July 8 and 10 at the SAP Center at San Jose (Calif.). Today, Johnson will appear on the Super Bowl City stage at 12:30 p.m. PT, followed by signing autographs at the San Jose Pavilion at 1:15 p.m., and wraps up her day at 7 p.m. with an appearance at Evening Downtown Ice in San Jose. She will also be interviewed by NICK Sports at the Midday NFL Experience at Mascone Center in the afternoon.

On Thursday, Johnson visited three area clubs, where she met and spoke with aspiring gymnasts, as well as signed autographs and posed for photos. The clubs were: San Mateo (Calif.) Gymnastics, Twisters Gymnastics in Sunnyvale, Calif., and California Sports Center in San Jose.

The competition schedule for the women’s Trials is: July 8, 5:30 p.m., and July 10, 5 p.m. PT. Both days of competition count equally, with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team and the replacement athletes, subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee, announced following the conclusion of competition on July 10.

A limited number of all-session tickets, which include both competition sessions, are still available. Tickets may be purchased through ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, or at all Ticketmaster outlets. Visa is the only method of payment accepted at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, along with cash. For more information, go to www.sanjose2016.com.

For the first time since 1976, the men’s and women’s trials are being held separately to accommodate the differences in scheduling needed to properly identify and prepare athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a result, the P&G Gymnastics Championships for women will be held June 24 and 26 in conjunction with the men’s trials (June 23 and 25) in St. Louis. The women competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials will be determined in St. Louis. The P&G Gymnastics Championships for the senior men will be staged June 3-5 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., along with the Secret U.S. Classic for women’s gymnastics.

Also the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be staged at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in conjunction with the trials.

The local organizers are the San Jose Sports Authority and SAP Center at San Jose. In addition to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for gymnastics, San Jose has hosted the 2007 Visa Championships (now known as the P&G Championships), the 2008 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, 2009 U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Junior Olympic Championships, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline, the 2011 U.S. Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships, and post-Olympic gymnastics tour stops.

The U.S. Olympic Trials for all sports are a collaborative undertaking between the U.S. Olympic Committee, the national governing bodies and the local organizing committees.

Past venues for the U.S. Olympic Trials for gymnastics include: 2012, San Jose; 2008, Philadelphia, Pa.; 2004, Anaheim, Calif.; 1996 and 2000, Boston; and 1992, Baltimore, Md.

Background information

  • SAP Center. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SAP Center at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Each year, SAP Center hosts approximately 175 events featuring professional and amateur athletes, Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners, international recording artists, and a variety of performers who appeal to children and families alike. SAP Center at San Jose is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League as well as the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. For more information about SAP Center at San Jose and for a list of upcoming events, visit the SAP Center home page at www.sapcenter.com.

  • San Jose Sports Authority. The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City’s sports commission since in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.