INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Aug. 3, 2015 – Led by two-time defending U.S. and World all-around champion Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, eight women who have won World Championships gold medals have registered to compete at the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships. 2012 Olympic gold-medalists Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics, Aly Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, and Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max, are expected to compete in the national championships scheduled for Aug. 13-16 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Listed below are the eight gymnasts who collectively have won 21 World and Olympic medals since 2010, including athletes who helped Team USA win the World team titles in 2011 and 2014 and the team gold medal at the Olympic Games in 2012.
- Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas/WOGA: 2014 World Championships – team gold
- Simone Biles, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre: 2014 World Championships – team, all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise gold and vault silver; 2013 World Championships – all-around and floor exercise gold, vault silver, and balance beam bronze
- Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics: 2012 Olympic Games – team and all-around gold; 2011 World Championships – team gold;
- Madison Kocian, Plano, Texas/WOGA: 2014 World Championships – team gold
- Ashton Locklear, Hamlet, N.C./Everest Gymnastics: 2014 World Championships – team gold
- Aly Raisman, Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics: 2012 Olympic Games – team and floor exercise gold, and balance beam bronze; 2011 World Championships – team gold, and floor exercise bronze; 2010 World Championships – team silver
- Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max: 2014 World Championships – team gold, and all-around bronze; 2013 World Championships – all-around, uneven bars and balance beam silver; 2012 Olympic Games – team gold
- MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz./Desert Lights: 2014 World Championships – team gold, and vault bronze
The five-members of the women’s team that won the team gold at the recent Pan American Games in Toronto, Ont., Canada, are also expected to compete: Madison Desch of Lenexa, Kan./GAGE; Rachel Gowey of Urbandale, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics; Amelia Hundley of Fairfield, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics; Emily Schild of Huntersville, N.C./Everest Gymnastics; and Megan Skaggs of Marietta, Ga./Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta. Gowey won the uneven bars title. Desch went on to win the all-around silver medal, and Skaggs was the silver medalist for the balance beam. Hundley won two individual event medals: the silver for the floor exercise and the bronze for the uneven bars.
In addition, 2013 junior U.S. all-around champion Bailie Key of Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams, is expected to make her senior debut at the P&G Championships. Maggie Nichols of Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters, who finished third at the recent Secret U.S. Classic, has also registered for the event.
The junior women’s field includes MG Elite’s Lauren Hernandez and Jazmyn Foberg, both of Morganville, N.J. Foberg is the reigning U.S. junior champion, while Hernandez claimed the top spot in the junior competition at the Secret U.S. Classic.
P&G Championships information
Scheduled for Aug. 13-16, the four-day P&G Gymnastics Championships serves as USA Gymnastics’ national championships and will determine members of the men’s and women’s national team and part of the World Team selection.
Single-session tickets are on sale now and range from $10-$105, with prices varying depending on session and seating area, along with several other ticket packages: women’s gymnastics day 1 includes both the junior and senior sessions on Aug. 13, $75-$125 per seat; men’s gymnastics package that includes every men’s junior and senior session, Aug. 14 and 16, $75-$125; women’s gymnastics final day includes both the junior and senior sessions on Aug. 15, $90-$140; senior men’s and women’s gymnastics final day sessions, Aug. 15-16, $85-$135; and all-session ticket package includes every competitive session, with prices running from $150-$495, and a limited number of Platinum VIP all-session tickets, located in the first five rows, are still available and include an autographed poster and a meet-and-greet with an Olympian.
Tickets may be purchased at Ticketmaster through www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone 1-800-745-3000 or at participating Walmart locations in Central Indiana and Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office. Prices vary depending on seat location, and listed ticket prices do not include applicable fees.
The competition schedule, which is subject to change, is outlined below:
- Thursday, Aug. 13 – women’s gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m.; seniors at 7 p.m.;
- Friday, Aug. 14 – men’s gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m.; seniors at 7 p.m.;
- Saturday, Aug. 15 – women’s gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m.; seniors at 7:30 p.m.;
- Sunday, Aug. 16 – men’s gymnastics, seniors at 1:30 p.m.; juniors at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships, go to pgchamps.com.
Jaycie Phelps, who was a member of the Magnificent Seven who won the team gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and 2008 Olympic team silver-medalists Samantha Peszek and Bridget Sloan will be honored on Aug. 13, when women’s gymnastics takes the stage. The Indianapolis Children’s Choir will perform as part of the Olympian celebration, including singing “Back Home Again in Indiana.” Thursday evening’s start time has been moved up to 7 p.m. On Friday night, the 2015 induction class of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame will be recognized during the first night of men’s gymnastics, which also begins at 7 p.m.
Fans and Hoosiers can enjoy fan activities and fun on Georgia Street on all four competition days, Aug. 13-16. Dubbed the “Road to Rio” in recognition of the 2016 Olympic Games, the fun ranges from face painting, photo opportunities, live art, food, live Brazilian entertainment to interactive activities for adults and kids alike. More detailed information will be announced in late July, but the Road to Rio schedule is: Aug. 13-14, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Aug. 15, 3:30-6:30 p.m.; and Aug. 16, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Gymnastics and the P&G Championships will also be part of some of the regular Georgia Street activities Aug. 12-14.
Indiana Sports Corp, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana are the event’s local organizers. St.Vincent Sports Performance is the official medical and performance nutrition provider of USA Gymnastics and the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships. The four premier level partners are: Deloitte, Vera Bradley, Kroger and OneAmerica Financial Partners. The other event partners are Bohlsen Group; Washington National Insurance Company, a subsidiary of CNO Financial Group; Hendricks Regional Health; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield; Crowe Horwath; and Faegre Baker Daniels. Indianapolis has served as the headquarters for USA Gymnastics since 1983.
Biles and Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center) both won their second consecutive women’s and men’s U.S. all-around titles, respectively, at the 2014 P&G Championships. The roster of former U.S. all-around champions is a veritable who’s who of gymnastics, including: women – Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton; and men – Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar and Bart Conner. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women. Previously known as the Visa Championships, this is the fourth time the prestigious event has been held in Indianapolis (1986, 1998, 2005, 2015).
The annual USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show is a three-day event open to the entire gymnastics community. Held in conjunction with the P&G Championships, National Congress provides a unique opportunity for presentations, demonstrations and educational seminars on a variety of topics and a large exhibitor’s hall with additional business opportunities. The 2015 edition will be staged at the Indiana Convention Center.
Background information
-
St.Vincent Sports Performance. A worldwide destination for elite athlete training, the St.Vincent Sports Performance staff has been supporting world-class athletes since 1987. The first and largest hospital- based program of its kind in the United States, St.Vincent Sports Performance employs 70 nationally certified athletic trainers, 7 physicians, 12 certified strength and conditioning specialists, two licensed sports psychologists and a registered sports dietitian. Together they have trained athletes at every level from Olympians to the NFL and NBA, to Motorsports and NCAA athletes. Learn more at definingsportsperformance.com.
-
Indiana Sports Corp. Indiana Sports Corp’s mission is to create positive impact by hosting world-class sporting events that enhance vibrancy in the community, build civic pride, drive economic impact and media exposure, and encourage opportunities for youth. A not-for-profit organization, Indiana Sports Corp was founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission. Our recent and upcoming schedule of events includes NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Big Ten Football Championship Games through 2021, Big Ten Basketball Tournaments, 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships, 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving, and much more. For more information, visit www.IndianaSportsCorp.org.
2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships women’s field
(by state; name, hometown, state/club, division)
Arizona
MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz./Desert Lights Gymnastics, senior
California
Lauren Navarro, La Verne, Calif./Gliders-Charter Oak, senior
Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max Gymnastics, senior
Colorado
Alyona Shchennikova, Evergreen, Colo./TIGAR, junior
Polina Shchennikova, Evergreen, Colo./TIGAR, senior
Delaware
Morgan Hurd, Middletown, Del./First State Gymnastics, junior
Florida
Emily Gaskins, Coral Springs, Fla./Palm Beach Gymnastics, junior
Sydney Johnson-Scharpf, Groveland, Fla./Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics, junior
Georgia
Elena Arenas, Bishop, Ga./Georgia Elite Gymnastics, junior
Megan Skaggs, Marietta, Ga./Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta, senior
Illinois
Gabby Perea, Geneva, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC, junior
Iowa
Norah Flatley, Cumming, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute, junior
Rachel Gowey, Urbandale, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute, senior
Kansas
Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan./Great American Gymnastics Express, senior
Massachusetts
Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, senior
Maryland
Maggie Musselman, Crownsville, Md./Hill’s Gymnastics, junior
Minnesota
Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters, senior
Abby Paulson, Coon Rapids, Minn./Twin City Twisters, junior
Tori Tatum, Chanhassen, Minn./Twin City Twisters, junior
Olivia Trautman, Champlin, Minn./Twin City Twisters, junior
Missouri
Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo./Great American Gymnastics Express, senior
New Jersey
Christina Desiderio, Hackettstown, N.J./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, junior
Olivia Dunne, Hillsdale, N.J./Eastern National Academy of Paramus, junior
Jazmyn Foberg, Bayville, N.J./MG Elite, junior
Margzetta Frazier, Erial, N.J./Atlantic Coast Gymnastics, junior
Lauren Hernandez, Old Bridge, N.J./MG Elite, junior
Nevada
Maile O’Keefe, Las Vegas, Nev./Academy of Gymnastics – Salcianu Gymnastics, junior
North Carolina
Ashton Locklear, Hamlet, N.C./Everest Gymnastics, senior
Emily Schild, Huntersville, N.C./Everest Gymnastics, senior
Ohio
Shania Adams, Plain City, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, junior
Aria Brusch, Forest Park, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, junior
Nia Dennis, Westerville, Ohio/Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC, senior
Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, senior
Shilese Jones, Westerville, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, junior
Pennsylvania
Megan Freed, Bethlehem, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, junior
Trinity Thomas, York, Pa./Prestige Gymnastics, junior
Texas
Rachel Baumann, Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, junior
Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, senior
Simone Biles, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, senior
Colbi Flory, Rockwall, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, junior
Bailie Key, Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, senior
Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, senior
Emma Malabuyo, Flower Mound, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, junior
Grace Quinn, Arlington, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, junior
Ragan Smith, Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, junior
Abigail Walker, Carrollton, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, junior
Utah
Deanne Soza, Orem, Utah/Arete Gymnastics, junior
Virginia
Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics, senior
Washington
Jordan Chiles, Vancouver, Wash./Naydenov, junior