A 60-second vignette titled “Becoming the Champion," featuring top male gymnasts from Team Chevron, will air during NBC’s broadcast of the men’s competition of the 2006 Visa Championships in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The piece, developed by Chevron in partnership with USA Gymnastics, focuses on the keys to victory and the importance of support from Chevron in achieving world class excellence. Top gymnasts featured are Guillermo Alvarez, David Durante, Jason Gatson, Sean Golden, Justin Spring and Todd Thornton of Team Chevron.
A sponsor of USA Gymnastics men’s program since 1998, Chevron provides direct assistance to Team Chevron athletes in support of their year-round training regimen, allowing them to focus solely on training, as well as providing support for the coaches of these elite male athletes.
Alex Artemev was born in Belarus and moved with his family to the United States in 1994. Eight years later, Artemev became a U.S citizen. He comes from a family of world-class gymnasts and has had much of his own success: pommel horse champion at the past two Winter Cup Challenges; silver medalist (PH) at the 2005 World Cup in Germany.
Raj Bhavsar has been active in gymnastics since he was four year years old. As a collegiate athlete, Bhavsar helped his team win NCAA titles in 2001 and in 2002. He was the NCAA all-around. champion in 2002. A national team for more than eight years, Bhavsar competed at the World Championships in 2001 and 2003 and was an alternate at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Geoff Corrigan is a new member of Team Chevron and the National Team. He began gymnastics at age five. Corrigan attends the University of Michigan and trains at the Olympic Training Center with several other fellow Team Chevron members.
David Durante trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He recently graduated from Stanford University and was a member of the team that won gold at the 2005 Pan American Championships in Brazil. Durante won the bronze medal in the all-around at the 2006 Tyson American Cup.
Jason Gatson has been a member of the National Team for more than six years and was a member of the 2004 Olympic Team that won silver in Athens. Gatson has medaled at the Winter Cup Challenge on parallel bars every year since 1999, his first year competing at that event.
Sean Golden is one of the newest members of Team Chevron and trains in Houston, Texas. He has been active in gymnastics since age three and his favorite event is floor exercise. Most recently, Golden brought home three medals from the 2005 Visa Championships (two gold, one bronze) and two silver medals from the 2006 Winter Cup in Las Vegas.
Joey Hagerty is in his first year as a member of Team Chevron and the National Team. who has found success in the past year. At the 2005 Senior Pan American Games, Hagerty won an individual bronze and helped his team win gold.
Justin Spring is the newest member of Team Chevron A graduate from the University of Illinois, Spring finished first on high bar at the 2005 Visa Championships and took a bronze medal on the vault at the same event. Spring has been involved in gymnastics since he was three years old and is a seven-time All-American. Recently, Spring received the Nissen-Emery Award which is the most coveted award in collegiate gymnastics.
Clay Strother is competing in his first year as a member of Team Chevron and is a University of Minnesota graduate. While at Minnesota, Strother won four NCAA titles and has been a U.S. National Team member for the past three years.
Kevin Tan competed and graduated from Penn State University and has now found a permanent home as a team coach. A still rings specialist, this is his first year as a member of Team Chevron Tan was on the 2005 World Championships team and in 2006, finished fifth on rings at a World Cup event in France.
Todd Thornton is from Houston, Texas and was most recently a member of the 2005 World Championships Team that competed in Melbourne, Australia. Thornton is one of the longest-standing members of Team Chevron and is the current National Champion.
Yewki Tomita has been involved in gymnastics since the age of six. He won the gold medal for his high bar routine at a World Cup event in France this year and took home two individual event medals at the 2005 Visa Championships.
Sean Townsend has had a lengthy and successful career in elite gymnastics. After competing as a member of the 2000 Olympic Team, Townsend went on to win two silver medals at the 2001 World Championships – one in team and an individual medal on parallel bars. Those successes at the international level earned Townsend a spot as a Sullivan Award Finalist that year. Most recently, Townsend competed at a World Cup event in France where he placed fifth on parallel bars.
“Chevron continues to be committed to supporting our country’s top gymnasts in the spirit of global competition and world class performance,” said Glenn Weckerlin, general manager brand management, Chevron Global Marketing. “The members of Team Chevron have incredible talent and experience, and we wish them the best at the Visa Championships.”
"Chevron’s support of men’s gymnastics through Team Chevron and its sponsorship has allowed the USA’s top male gymnasts to focus on training and competing at the highest level," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "Chevron’s ongoing commitment has been instrumental in building the success of our men’s team in 2004, when they won the Olympic team silver medal, and in continuing that pursuit of excellence as we move toward Beijing. It is great to have a piece that eloquently tells the compelling story of Chevron’s ongoing commitment to excellence and how it has enabled our athletes to be competitive on the world stage."
To view vignette, | CLICK HERE |
This year’s 2006 Team Chevron Members are listed below.
2006 Team Chevron
Guillermo Alvarez was born in Colorado,and competes for the University of Minnesota. In 2005, Alvarez won gold in team at the Pan American Championships in Brazil, and has won several individual medals at recent national competitions.
Alex Artemev was born in Belarus and moved with his family to the United States in 1994. Eight years later, Artemev became a U.S citizen. He comes from a family of world-class gymnasts and has had much of his own success: pommel horse champion at the past two Winter Cup Challenges; silver medalist (PH) at the 2005 World Cup in Germany.
Raj Bhavsar has been active in gymnastics since he was four year years old. As a collegiate athlete, Bhavsar helped his team win NCAA titles in 2001 and in 2002. He was the NCAA all-around. champion in 2002. A national team for more than eight years, Bhavsar competed at the World Championships in 2001 and 2003 and was an alternate at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Geoff Corrigan is a new member of Team Chevron and the National Team. He began gymnastics at age five. Corrigan attends the University of Michigan and trains at the Olympic Training Center with several other fellow Team Chevron members.
David Durante trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He recently graduated from Stanford University and was a member of the team that won gold at the 2005 Pan American Championships in Brazil. Durante won the bronze medal in the all-around at the 2006 Tyson American Cup.
Jason Gatson has been a member of the National Team for more than six years and was a member of the 2004 Olympic Team that won silver in Athens. Gatson has medaled at the Winter Cup Challenge on parallel bars every year since 1999, his first year competing at that event.
Sean Golden is one of the newest members of Team Chevron and trains in Houston, Texas. He has been active in gymnastics since age three and his favorite event is floor exercise. Most recently, Golden brought home three medals from the 2005 Visa Championships (two gold, one bronze) and two silver medals from the 2006 Winter Cup in Las Vegas.
Joey Hagerty is in his first year as a member of Team Chevron and the National Team. who has found success in the past year. At the 2005 Senior Pan American Games, Hagerty won an individual bronze and helped his team win gold.
Justin Spring is the newest member of Team Chevron A graduate from the University of Illinois, Spring finished first on high bar at the 2005 Visa Championships and took a bronze medal on the vault at the same event. Spring has been involved in gymnastics since he was three years old and is a seven-time All-American. Recently, Spring received the Nissen-Emery Award which is the most coveted award in collegiate gymnastics.
Clay Strother is competing in his first year as a member of Team Chevron and is a University of Minnesota graduate. While at Minnesota, Strother won four NCAA titles and has been a U.S. National Team member for the past three years.
Kevin Tan competed and graduated from Penn State University and has now found a permanent home as a team coach. A still rings specialist, this is his first year as a member of Team Chevron Tan was on the 2005 World Championships team and in 2006, finished fifth on rings at a World Cup event in France.
Todd Thornton is from Houston, Texas and was most recently a member of the 2005 World Championships Team that competed in Melbourne, Australia. Thornton is one of the longest-standing members of Team Chevron and is the current National Champion.
Yewki Tomita has been involved in gymnastics since the age of six. He won the gold medal for his high bar routine at a World Cup event in France this year and took home two individual event medals at the 2005 Visa Championships.
Sean Townsend has had a lengthy and successful career in elite gymnastics. After competing as a member of the 2000 Olympic Team, Townsend went on to win two silver medals at the 2001 World Championships – one in team and an individual medal on parallel bars. Those successes at the international level earned Townsend a spot as a Sullivan Award Finalist that year. Most recently, Townsend competed at a World Cup event in France where he placed fifth on parallel bars.