USA Gymnastics, the U.S. national governing body for gymnastics, has announced that the 2014 AT&T American Cup has been awarded to Greensboro, N.C., the first time the event has been held in North Carolina. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2014, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, the AT&T American Cup is the premier international event held in the United States.
The competition features top male and female all-around gymnasts from around the world and is broadcast live on NBC Sports. Tickets are expected to go on sale this summer.
“North Carolina has a lot of gymnastics fans and athletes, and Greensboro will be the AT&T American Cup’s first host city in the state,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “We were impressed with the facilities, the hospitality, enthusiasm of the local community, and the commitment of civic and city officials. The local organizations have a successful track record for hosting Olympic and amateur sports events. We look forward to a strong partnership and a great event in 2014.”
In conjunction with the AT&T American Cup, the Nastia Liukin Cup, which features many of the country’s top Junior Olympic female gymnasts, will be held on Feb. 28 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, the night prior to the American Cup. The Nastia Liukin Cup, named after the 2008 Olympic gold medalist and one of the USA’s most popular gymnasts, showcases gymnasts who qualify through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series. The Cup series includes many of the top invitationals held in the USA from January through February.
“We are thrilled to be selected for these prestigious national and international gymnastics competitions,” said Matt Brown, managing director of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. “To host an elite event such as the AT&T American Cup, with a live, national broadcast, is tremendous exposure for Greensboro. Having USA Gymnastics bring these events to Greensboro is further confirmation of our first-class facilities and our demonstrated major event capabilities.”
Greensboro will be “gymnastics central” the last week of February because the 2014 Greater Greensboro Invitational is scheduled for Feb. 26-March 2, 2014, and will serve as the final qualifying event for the Nastia Liukin Cup. This is the first time the event has been part of the Nastia Liukin Cup Series. In addition, designated women’s sessions for the invitational’s finals will use the equipment and podium brought in for the AT&T American Cup.
“USA Gymnastics has created an amazing top-tier Gymnastics Week in Greensboro,” said Hill Carrow, chairman of North Carolina 2014, a collaborative team of local organizations including the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greensboro Sports Commission, serving as hosts for the gymnastics competitions. “This is the first time the Nastia Liukin Cup and the AT&T American Cup have been held in North Carolina, and it is our goal to ensure that the very positive experience of the gymnastics athletes and officials leads to more USA Gymnastics events in the state.”
The USA’s Katelyn Ohashi of Allen, Texas/WOGA, and Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma, won the 2013 AT&T American Cup. They join an impressive list of former American Cup champions, including Bart Conner, Paul Hamm, Jonathan Horton, Shawn Johnson, Danell Leyva, Liukin, Shannon Miller, Carly Patterson, Mary Lou Retton, Peter Vidmar and Jordyn Wieber. Past sites for the American Cup include: New York City (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004, 2008, 2012); 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); Philadelphia (2006); Jacksonville, Fla. (2007, 2011); Hoffman Estates, Ill. (2009); and Worcester, Mass. (2010, 2013).
The Nastia Liukin Cup made its debut in 2010 in Worcester and returned in 2013. Other sites for the Nastia Liukin Cup are Jacksonville, Fla. (2011), and New York City (2012).
Background information
Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: The Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is an independent, non-profit governmental authority whose mission is to aggressively market Greensboro's assets, maximizing economic impact while providing excellent visitor service. Guilford County ranks third in the state in travel and tourism expenditures, with over $1 billion generated in 2011 and more than 11,700 people employed in travel-related jobs. For more information: www.visitgreensboronc.com.
Greensboro Sports Commission: The mission of the Greensboro Sports Commission is to foster economic development through coordinating and developing Greensboro's role as a leading site for sports events involving youth, collegiate, amateur and professional organizations. The Greensboro Sports Commission acts as a clearing house for sporting activities in the Greensboro area and assists organizations and promoters in making Greensboro the host city for sports events. For more information: www.greensborosports.org.
Greensboro Coliseum Complex: The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility designed to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding area through a broad range of activities, including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, and public and private events of all kinds including conventions, convocations and trade and consumer shows. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country hosting more than 1,000 events on an annual basis. With its incredible versatility, the Complex has gained worldwide acclaim from promoters, producers, event planners and patrons. For more information; www.greensborocoliseum.com.
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, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more complete information, log on to www.usagym.org.
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