© John Cheng

INDIANAPOLIS, March 1, 2016 – Olympic gold medalists Shannon Miller and Carly Patterson, along with members of the men’s U.S. National Team, will sign autographs as part of the fan activities planned at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., surrounding the 2016 AT&T American Cup, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on March 5, the Nastia Liukin Cup on March 4 at 7 p.m., and the Elite Team Cup on March 5 at 6 p.m. The AT&T American Cup is the USA’s most prestigious international invitational and part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s all-around World Cup series.

Before the start of competition, fans can participate in several fun activities and initiatives on Prudential Center’s concourse, from athlete autograph signings at the Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone to event merchandise to informational booths.

Here’s a quick overview of the available opportunities at each of the events. Doors to Prudential Center open 90 minutes before the ticketed start time for the AT&T American Cup and 60 minutes before the ticketed start time for the Nastia Liukin Cup and the Elite Team Cup.

  • Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone, with Miller and Patterson autograph signing. Kids can have fun and gain knowledge about the importance of fitness through the interactive Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone that features physical activities in building balance, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular exercise, all of which are fundamental to gymnastics. Miller, who won 16 World and Olympic medals in her career, and Patterson, the 2014 Olympic all-around champion, will sign autographs for kids who participate in the zone’s activities before each senior session.
    • Autograph schedule. One autograph per person will be offered to the first 300 fans.
      • March 4, 6-7 p.m. – Carly Patterson, 2004 Olympic all-around champion
      • March 5, 10-11:15 a.m. – Shannon Miller, 1996 Olympic team gold medalist with 16 career World and Olympic medals; and US. Men’s National Team members — 2012 Olympian and 2014 World team bronze-medalist John Orozco, University of Oklahoma’s Peter Daggett and 2015 U.S. junior 17-18 all-around champion Kiwan Watts – and 2016 Winter Cup floor bronze medalist Josh Dixon.
  • Road to Rio photo opportunities. Fans can pose for photos with the USA Gymnastics interactive RIO statue, which will remain on the concourse for all three competitions. Fans should use #ATTAC2016 and share photos with @USAGYM throughout the weekend.
  • Merchandise. Fans can purchase everything gymnastics, including event-specific tees, Under Armour and GK leotards, and more, at merchandise booths on the concourse.
  • International Gymnastics Camp. Fans can stop by the International Gymnastics Camp booth to learn about the IGC difference, to take home exciting camp information and cool giveaways, and to meet Olympic & World Champion – and 1996 American Cup silver medalist — Svetlana Boguinskaia. Staff members are available to speak about the world-class gymnastics training at IGC, the benefits of summer camp for children, and IGC’s incredible recreation activities.
  • 2016 P&G Senior Men’s Gymnastics Championships and Secret U.S. Classic. Scheduled for Hartford, Conn., June 3-5, the three-day event features the two-day P&G Championships, the national championships for senior men’s gymnastics, and the Secret U.S. Classic, the final women’s qualifier for the P&G Women’s Gymnastics Championships. Information on tickets and other event details will be available.

The U.S. gymnasts expected to compete in the AT&T American Cup are 2015 World team gold-medalists Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics, also the reigning Olympic all-around champion, and Maggie Nichols of Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters; three-time U.S. all-around champion and 2012 Olympian Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); and two-time World medalist Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center).

Representing 11 countries, the gymnasts who have accepted invitations are listed below by country.
Men
Brazil: Lucas De Souza Bitencourt
China: Sun Wei
Great Britain: Nile Wilson
Germany: Andreas Bretschneider
Japan: Ryohei Kato
Korea: Park Minsoo
Switzerland: Pablo Braegger
USA: Samuel Mikulak
USA: Donnell Whittenburg

Women
Brazil: Lorrane Oliveira
Canada: Elsabeth Black
Great Britain: Amy Tinkler
Germany: Tabea Alt
Italy: Carlotta Ferlito
Japan: Mai Murakami
Netherlands: Tisha Volleman
USA: Gabrielle Douglas
USA: Maggie Nichols

USA’s Simone Biles and the Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev won the titles at the 2015 AT&T American Cup. The impressive list of former American Cup champions also includes Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Paul Hamm, Jonathan Horton, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Carly Patterson, Danell Leyva, Shannon Miller, Mary Lou Retton, Kurt Thomas, Peter Vidmar, Jordyn Wieber and Kim Zmeskal-Burdette. Past sites for the American Cup include: New York, N.Y. (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004, 2008, 2012); Ft. Worth, Texas (1981, 1996-98); Indianapolis, Ind. (1985); Fairfax, Va. (1986-90, 2003); Orlando, Fla. (1991-94, 2000-02); Seattle, Wash. (1995); St. Petersburg, Fla. (1999); Uniondale, N.Y. (2005); Philadelphia, Pa. (2006); Jacksonville, Fla. (2007, 2011); Hoffman Estates, Ill. (2009); Worcester, Mass. (2010, 2013); and Arlington, Texas (2015).

Held annually in conjunction with the AT&T American Cup, the Nastia Liukin Cup is named after Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic all-around champion who has five Olympic and nine World medals to her credit. The annual event features 36 gymnasts who qualify through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series, which includes many of the country’s top invitationals held throughout January and February. The Nastia Liukin Cup made its debut in 2010 in Worcester and returned in 2013.

The inaugural Elite Team Cup will feature nine men’s Regional Teams, each consisting of six junior elite gymnasts and one senior elite athlete. Team scores for the Elite Team Cup will be based on five athletes competing on each event with the top four scores on each event counting. In addition, there is prize money for the results in the senior elite all-around (all six events counting).

Limited tickets, ranging in price from $35-$250 plus applicable fees, are still available for the AT&T American Cup. Platinum tickets ($250 plus fees) include a complimentary reserved ticket ($40 value) to the Nastia Liukin Cup on Friday, March 4. and the Elite Team Cup ($40 value) on Saturday, March 5. Ticket prices for both the Nastia Liukin Cup and the Elite Team Cup are $40 for reserved seating and $30 for general admission. For groups of 10+ people, tickets are half-price – $20 reserved or $15 for general admission. Groups also can purchase tickets for both events for $25 reserved or $20 general admission. All ticket prices are plus applicable fees. Tickets for all three events may be purchased through ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster outlets and at Prudential Center’s box office. For more information, go to usagym.org/events.

Background information

 

  • AT&T . AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high-speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. In the U.S., our wireless network has the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att. © 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Reliability claim based on nationwide carriers’ 4G LTE. 4G LTE not available everywhere.
    *Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

  • International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The International Gymnastics Federation is the governing body for gymnastics worldwide. It is the oldest established international sports federation and has participated in the Olympic Games since their revival in 1896. The FIG governs seven disciplines: gymnastics for all, men’s artistic, women’s artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, aerobic and acrobatic. It counts 142 national member federations and boasts a 27-person staff at its international seat in Lausanne, Switzerland, host city of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For more information, go to www.fig-gymnastics.com.

  • 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 Gymnastics for All (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to www.usagym.org.

  • Prudential Center. Prudential Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 10 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and welcomes 1.75 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and Facebook, and follow @PruCenter on Twitter.