INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Feb. 15, 2010 – Twenty-three gymnasts have now qualified for the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup. During the fifth weekend of competition in the Nastia Liukin Cup Series, seven more gymnasts were added to the field: Maliah Mathis of San Antonio, Texas/Aerial Athletics, Hayley Sanders of McKinney, Texas/WOGA, and Lloimincia Hall of Dallas, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, qualified at the WOGA Classic in Frisco, Texas; and Shealyn Farley of Lancaster, Pa./Prestige Gymnastics, Summer Garcia of Lawrenceville, Ga./Ultimate Gymnastics, Nina McGee of Cincinnati, Ohio/Gym-Nation and Ashleigh Gnat of Lake Mary, Fla./Ace Gymnastics, advanced from the IGI Chicago Style Meet in Chicago, Ill.

Five of the final six invitationals that comprise the 15-event Nastia Liukin Cup Series take place next weekend. At that time 34 members of the 36-gymnasts Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup field will have been selected. The remaining two competitors will be named the weekend prior to the inaugural Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup on March 5, 2010, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup is a joint venture between Warner Bros., USA Gymnastics and the 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas. The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup and the accompanying Nastia Liukin Cup Series provide a unique competitive opportunity for the country’s rising female gymnasts.

Each invitational selects a minimum of two athletes to compete in the Cup from their respective Level 10/open fields. The inaugural Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup will be held the evening prior to the prestigious Tyson American Cup. The upcoming Nastia Liukin Cup Series meets are listed chronologically below.

Gymnasts who compete in the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup will receive a Nastia Liukin-designed leotard and a warm-up from GK Elite; two tickets to the Tyson American Cup and recognition during the event for the Cup’s medalists; and the opportunity to meet Nastia Liukin and participate in a team photo. Proceeds from the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup will go into the Nastia Liukin Fund, a charitable fund within the National Gymnastics Foundation. For more information, go to www.nastialiukinsupergirlcup.com.

Background information
Nastia Liukin: At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Liukin’s total of five medals tied the U.S. gymnastics record for most medals in one Olympic Games, currently held by Mary Lou Retton (1984) and Shannon Miller (1992). Liukin’s medals are: gold – all-around; silver – team, balance beam and uneven bars; and bronze – floor exercise. Liukin is just the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic all-around crown. Earlier in 2008, Liukin won the all-around title at both the Tyson American Cup and the Pacific Rim Championships presented by Gillette Venus. Liukin has nine world medals to her credit. For 2008, she was named the USOC’s Co-Sportswoman of the Year, the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Individual Sportswoman of the Year and the United States Sports Academy Female Athlete of the Year. Liukin and her teammates on the 2007 U.S. Women’s World Championships Team were selected as the 2007 U.S. Olympic Committee’s Team of the Year. She was also chosen as one of 2009’s most influential women by MSN Lifestyle. Liukin is still competing and is coached by her father, Valeri, who has four Olympic medals from 1988, including two gold. She trains at WOGA.

Warner Bros.: Consumer Products: Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

DC Comics: DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics’ Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.