INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Defending Tyson American Cup champion Jonathan Horton of Houston, 2006 U.S. all-around bronze-medalist Guillermo Alvarez of Denver and two-time world team silver-medalist Raj Bhavsar of Houston, join Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo., on the U.S. Men’s Team that will compete in the 2007 Tyson American Cup at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Artemev, the 2006 pommel horse world bronze medalist, was invited to compete in late 2006.

“Each of these men has considerable international experience and complete a strong U.S. Team,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Jonathan won the Tyson American Cup last year and all four have competed in a World Championships. We expect our men and women to make a strong showing against a very talented international field.”

The Tyson American Cup, held on March 3 at 11:30 a.m., features eight men and eight women, including two men and two women from the USA, in the all-around finals.

A strong international field has also been announced, headlined by 2006 all-around and vault world bronze-medalist Fabian Hambuechen of Germany and 2006 team world gold-medalist Zhou Zhuoru of China. Featuring seven world medalists and six Olympians, this year’s international field is comprised of gymnasts from Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Horton was the 2006 U.S. floor exercise champion, in addition to claiming the NCAA all-around, still rings and floor exercise crowns. He also was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team. Horton won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the team and all-around competition at the 2006 France/Switzerland/USA meet. At the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge, he tied for second in the floor exercise.

In addition to his bronze medal, Alvarez placed third in the all-around for two consecutive years at the Winter Cup Challenge (2006-07). He was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team and won a team gold medal at the 2006 France/Switzerland/USA meet.

Bhavsar placed third on the still rings at the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge and finished third on the parallel bars at the 2006 Visa Championships. He was an alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team and won team world silver medals as a member of the U.S. Men’s Team at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships.

Artemev won the USA’s first world pommel horse medal since 1979 when he finished third at the 2006 World Championships. He is also the reigning U.S. champion in the all-around and on the pommel horse and parallel bars.

On sale now, tickets are $50, $35 and $19.50 and are subject to applicable fees. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster and its outlets; by phone at (904) 353-3309; online at www.ticketmaster.com; at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena box office; or through participating gymnastics clubs in the Jacksonville area.
The Tyson American Cup will be televised live on NBC Sports at 1 p.m. ET.

Some of the sport’s biggest names are former American Cup all-around gold medalists, including: men – Jason Gatson, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Vitaly Scherbo (Belarus), Tim Daggett, Peter Vidmar, Mitsuo Tsukahara (Japan), Kurt Thomas and Bart Conner; and women – Carly Patterson, Elena Zamolodchikova (Russia), Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskal, Kristie Phillips, Mary Lou Retton, Julianne McNamara, Stella Zakarova (USSR) and Nadia Comaneci (Romania). At last year’s event, Americans Jonathan Horton of Houston and Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, each earned the title of 2006 American Cup champion.

The city of Jacksonville is no stranger to the sport of gymnastics as the old Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena hosted the 1985 U.S. Championships and the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
The American Cup was first held in 1976. Past sites include: New York City (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004); 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); and Philadelphia (2006).

In addition to its sponsorship of the Tyson American Cup, Tyson is powering gymnasts by providing high-quality chicken, beef and pork to the USA Gymnastics National Training Center in Huntsville, Texas. Tyson’s protein-filled products help these talented athletes to develop and maintain the strength and endurance they need to perform at elite events, such as the Tyson American Cup and the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing.

About JEDC Sports & Entertainment

The JEDC Sports & Entertainment office enhances the region”s economy by attracting special events and sports organizations to the First Coast. The sports office helps develop and coordinate sporting and entertainment events and actively promotes the facilities owned by the City of Jacksonville, and serves as an in-house event production, marketing and advertising agency for regional sporting events, bringing millions of dollars to the region each year. For more information, please visit www.jaxdevelopment.org.

About Tyson Foods
 
Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products, which are marketed under the “Powered by Tyson™” strategy. Tyson is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, providing products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries.

The company has approximately 110,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.

About 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, and acrobatic gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.