Cleveland Selected to Host 2002 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Ohio’s Two-time Olympian Blaine Wilson and Defending Women’s Champion Tasha Schwikert Expected to Compete
Indianapolis – USA Gymnastics is pleased to announce that Cleveland will serve as the host city for the 2002 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the most prestigious national gymnastics competition of the year, featuring the top stars in the sport vying for the coveted national title.
“Cleveland has a strong reputation for hosting successful sporting events and we are excited to partner with the city for the U….

March 28, 2002

Ohio’s Two-time Olympian Blaine Wilson and Defending Women’s Champion Tasha Schwikert Expected to Compete

Indianapolis – USA Gymnastics is pleased to announce that Cleveland will serve as the host city for the 2002 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the most prestigious national gymnastics competition of the year, featuring the top stars in the sport vying for the coveted national title.

“Cleveland has a strong reputation for hosting successful sporting events and we are excited to partner with the city for the U.S. Championships,” said Bob Colarossi, President of USA Gymnastics. “The event will showcase America’s top gymnasts and identify the front-runners for the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.”

The U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place August 7-10, and showcases men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline & tumbling and sports acrobatics. Men’s and women’s artistic competition will be conducted at the Gund Arena while rhythmic, trampoline & tumbling and sports acrobatics will take place at the Cleveland Convention Center. The event will be hosted by USA Gymnastics in partnership with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

America’s best senior and junior gymnasts will compete in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Expected competitors include Ohio’s own Blaine Wilson (Columbus, Ohio), a two-time Olympian and five-time national champion, and defending women’s champion Tasha Schwikert (Las Vegas, Nev.), who will be back in an attempt to earn a second title.

The U.S. Gymnastics Championships has a rich history of past winners, including gymnastics legends Bart Conner, Kurt Thomas, John Roethlisberger, Blaine Wilson, Mary Lou Retton, Kim Zmeskal, Dominique Dawes, Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller.

The competition will be televised on NBC Sports, drawing national attention to Cleveland and building the city’s image.

TICKET INFORMATION: All-Session Strip Packages for the 2002 U.S. Gymnastics Championships can be purchased at the Gund Arena Box Office at 216-420-2200, through Ticketmaster at 216-241-2121, or at a participating gymnastics club. For a list of participating gymnastics clubs or a link to ticketmaster.com, log-on to http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/events/ticket-info.html.