JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The best in men’s and women’s international gymnastics return to Florida when Jacksonville plays host to the 2007 Tyson American Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious gymnastics events, on March 3 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets for the Tyson American Cup, which has a legacy of showcasing the top international gymnasts, go on sale on Saturday, Oct. 7.
“We are excited about returning to the city of Jacksonville,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The 2007 Tyson American Cup will showcase the world’s top gymnasts as they travel the road to Beijing in earnest. This will be a great opportunity for sports fans to see our sport’s future stars in person.”
The 2007 Tyson American Cup, which features an all-around competition, begins at 11:30 a.m. Tickets, which go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, are $50, $35 and $19.50 and are subject to applicable fees. Tickets may be purchased through the following outlets:
  • Ticketmaster and its outlets –
    by phone at (904) 353-3309
    online at     www.ticketmaster.com
  • at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena box office
    300 A Philip Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville, Fla. 32202
  • through participating gymnastics clubs in the Jacksonville area
    |     CLUB TICKET SALES PROGRAM |
The competition on March 3 will be televised live on NBC Sports at 1 p.m. ET.
“The powerful athleticism displayed at the Tyson American Cup in Jacksonville will be exciting for fans to watch,” said Sue Quillin, Tyson’s vice president of marketing services. “This prestigious event allows us to communicate the importance of protein and nutrition to the Jacksonville community and the millions of Americans who tune in.”
The old Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena was the site for the 1985 U.S. Championships and the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
“The city is thrilled to welcome USA Gymnastics and the Tyson American Cup to Jacksonville,” said Mayor John Peyton, City of Jacksonville. “It is truly an honor to host such an array of top international gymnasts and a competition of this stature. We are excited to once again have an opportunity to showcase our great city to a live national television audience.”
Reigning uneven bars and balance beam world champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, won the women’s title at the 2006 Tyson American Cup, with Jonathan Horton of Houston defeating Japan’s Hisashi Mizutori, ranked second in the world in the all-around, in the men’s competition. Shayla Worley of Orlando was second in the women’s event. Since the 2006 Tyson American Cup, Liukin has gone on to win her second straight U.S. all-around title and Horton won the men’s 2006 NCAA all-around title. The athletes competing in the 2007 Tyson American Cup will be announced closer to the event.
The list of former American Cup all-around gold medalists includes many of the best-known and loved names in gymnastics: 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). In 2005, the American Cup was a World Cup event and its format named individual event champions; the USA’s Alexander Artemev, Alicia Sacramone, Chellsie Memmel and Liukin won gold medals.
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 TysonTM” 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-fri