Winter Cup to kick off USA Gymnastics’ 2023 premier event season next week in Louisville

Nearly 100 elite gymnasts, including multiple Olympians and World medalists, will converge on Freedom Hall February 24-26 in Louisville, Ky., to compete at USA Gymnastics’ annual Winter Cup. The kick-off of the 2023 premier event season will span three days and will feature both senior and junior men’s and women’s divisions in tandem with the 2023 Elite Team Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup.

Deep men’s field

Olympians Yul Moldauer (Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics) and Shane Wiskus (Spring Park, Minn./EVO Gymnastics) will headline the senior men’s field along with 2021 World pommel horse champion Stephan Nedoroscik (Worcester, Mass./EVO Gymnastics). The veterans will be challenged by outstanding young talent, led by 2022 Winter Cup vault champion and 2022 World all-around finalist Asher Hong (Tomball, Texas/Stanford University) and Michigan freshman Fred Richard (Stoughton, Mass.). Richard made his mark last year earning six medals, including five gold, at the 2022 Junior Pan American Championships.  

Reigning Winter Cup all-around champion Vitaliy Guimaraes (Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma) will return to defend his title, while eyes will also be on Junior National Team member David Shamah (McKinney, Texas/EVO Gymnastics) as he makes his senior debut after winning the 2022 Elite Team Cup and U.S. junior all-around titles.

Blakely headlines women’s field

This year’s Winter Cup will once again feature women’s competition after first introducing the discipline in 2021. Skye Blakely (Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics), 2022 World team gold medalist and 2022 Winter Cup all-around silver medalist, will be joined by fellow Senior National Team members Addison Fatta (Wrightsville, Pa./Prestige Gymnastics), Levi Jung-Ruivivar (Woodland Hills, Calif./WOGA), Elle Mueller (Ham Lake, Minn./Twin City Twisters) and Lexi Zeiss (Omaha, Neb./Twin City Twisters).

Tiana Sumanasekera (Pleasanton, Calif./World Champions Centre) is looking to make a splash in senior competition after winning four gold and one silver medal at the 2022 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the junior division, two-time Winter Cup junior all-around champion Ella Kate Parker (West Monroe, La./Cincinnati Gymnastics) will look to extend her winning streak.

What’s at stake

The Senior Men’s National Team will be renamed at the conclusion of Winter Cup, and performances will help determine men’s and women’s international assignments for winter and spring events, including the 2023 Junior World Championships in Antalya, Turkey; DTB Pokal Team Challenge and Mixed Cup in Stuttgart, Germany; and City of Jesolo Trophy in Jesolo, Italy. Winter Cup also serves as a qualifying event to the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California.

How to watch

Winter Cup competition begins Friday, February 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET with the senior men’s all-around and will continue through Sunday, February 26. Saturday’s senior women’s competition will be broadcast live on NBC at 1 p.m. ET, and all other sessions and podium training will stream live on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube channel. The full competition and broadcast schedule can be found on WinterCup.com.

Tickets for all sessions are currently on sale and available for purchase here.