P&G Gymnastics Championships Announces Schedule, Fan Opportunities

Fans, citizens of Pittsburgh, and USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show attendees can enjoy a variety of activities and special events in conjunction with the P&G Gymnastics Championships, scheduled for Aug. 21-24 at CONSOL Energy Center. Beginning with a kick-off event on Aug. 21, the special activities include morning fitness at Market Square, Steel City’s Taste of the Championships, and autographs with top athletes, including two-time 2012 Olympic gold-medalists Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Buckeye Gymnastics, and Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics.  In addition, the 1984 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams and members of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, including the 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin, will be acknowledged during the P&G Championships, which features the country’s top gymnasts vying for national titles and berths on the U.S. National Team.

The following is a quick overview of the fan activities available during the P&G Championships.

First pitch.  2008 Olympic all-around gold-medalist Nastia Liukin will throw out the first pitch at the Pittsburgh Pirates game on Aug. 20.  Local gymnastics clubs will provide gymnastics demonstrations before the game on Liberty Street at PNC Park.

P&G Championships kick-off event.  Local civic leaders, members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team and gymnastics dignitaries will officially start the P&G Championships at Market Square at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21. The kick-off includes gymnastics demonstrations and a proclamation from the city of Pittsburgh.

Market Square, aka Champions Square.  Market Square, dubbed Champions Square for Aug. 21-22, will host several fun activities for the general public.

• Morning fitness. Downtown workers and fans can start the day off right by participating in a free morning workout, led by local Highmark fitness experts and 1996 Olympian John Macready, at 6:30 a.m.  Each day’s hour-long session will have a different activity: Thursday, Aug. 21, Zumba; and Friday, Aug. 22, boot camp.
• Gymnastics demonstrations.  From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., local Pittsburgh gymnastics clubs will give gymnastics demonstrations.
• Post competition fireworks. Spectators at the P&G Championships will be treated to a short fireworks display following the evening session on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The best viewing will be near the Trib Total Media Gate on Centre Avenue.
• 1984, 2004 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team recognition. The members of the 1984 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams will be recognized during the P&G Championships.  The 2004 squad will be honored during the Thursday, Aug. 21, evening session, and the 1984 team will be recognized on Saturday night, Aug. 23. 2014 is the 30th anniversary of the USA’s outstanding success at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where the United States collected 16 total medals, including five gold.  This year is also the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Olympic Games, where the Americans garnered nine medals, including two gold.
• P&G Beauty Makeovers. Spectators at the P&G Championships can get CoverGirl makeovers at the P&G Beauty booth, including CoverGirl manicures and makeup application from professional artists. Learn about CoverGirl, Pantene, Secret, Gillette and Venus, as well as receive samples to experience the products at home.
• Athlete autograph sessions.  In addition to Douglas and Raisman, members of Team Hilton HHonors will sign autographs on the concourse prior to competition sessions. Organizers anticipate the first 300 will be able to get an autograph, with one autograph per person.  The autograph sessions will be held prior to the beginning of each competitive session, and doors officially open one hour prior to the competition’s start. 

Friday, Aug. 22, 6 p.m. – Douglas will be signing autographs at the AT&T booth on the concourse.

Saturday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m. – The members of Team Hilton HHonors will be signing autographs at the Hilton booth.  Team Hilton HHonors features Chris Brooks of Houston, Texas/U.S. Olympic Training Center; Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Joshua Dixon of San Jose, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Jonathan Horton of Houston, Texas/Cypress Gymnastics; Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./University of Oklahoma; Danell Leyva of Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics; Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./ University of Michigan; Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center; John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Eddie Penev of Penfield, N.Y./Stanford Boys Gymnastics; Paul Ruggeri III of Manlius, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center; and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J./U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Sunday, Aug. 24, 12 p.m. – Raisman will be signing autographs at the Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone.

• Steel City’s Taste of the Championships and discount dining program.  Five restaurants are creating special menu items as part of the Steel City’s Taste of the Championships.  In addition, a number of Pittsburgh-area restaurants are expected to participate in the USA Gymnastics Dining Program, which offers a special discount during the championships week to event participants, spectators and guests. From Aug. 21-23, a panel of judges will review and taste the five restaurant’s signature dishes, and the results of the judging will be announced on Sunday, Aug. 24, during senior men’s session.  The five participating Pittsburgh restaurants are:  The Capital Grille, 301 Fifth Ave.; Meat and Potatoes 649 Penn Ave.; Nine on Nine, 900 Penn Ave.; NOLA, 24 Market Square; and The Carlton, 500 Grant St.  Steel City’s Taste of the Championships is a joint effort between VisitPITTSBURGH, USA Gymnastics and Highmark, a local sponsor of the P&G Championships, to promote healthy eating.  For more information, go to pgchamps.com.
• Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone. Kids can have fun and gain knowledge about the importance of fitness through the interactive Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone.  The zone features activities in building strength, flexibility and cardiovascular exercise. The Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone will be featured on the concourse at CONSOL Energy Center.
• Other opportunities on the concourse.  The interactive booths on the concourse include an AT&T photo booth and Highmark’s photo opportunity with the Olympic torch
• Merchandise. Fans can purchase everything gymnastics, including event-specific tees, at the merchandise booths on the concourse.
• PGChamps.com. Fans, whether they are in the arena or not, can easily follow the competition and have access to all of the information, including the digital program, live scoring, start lists, results, stories, photo galleries and videos at PGChamps.com, the event’s official website.  

For more information on the fan activities, go to PGChamps.com.

P&G Gymnastics Championships: The competition schedule for men's and women's gymnastics is: Thursday, Aug. 21 – women's gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.); Friday, Aug. 22 – men's gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 23 – women's gymnastics, juniors (2 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.); and Sunday, Aug. 24 – men's gymnastics, seniors (1 p.m.) and juniors (7:30 p.m.).

2014 will be the first time the U.S. Championships have been held in Pennsylvania since 2001 and just the fourth since 1973. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women.

 The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held in conjunction with the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. 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 Gymnastics 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.

In addition to VisitPittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins, AEG and CONSOL Energy Center were instrumental in bringing the event to the city. The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are also helping support the championships.

Background information

• VisitPittsburgh. VisitPittsburgh is the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to generating convention, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region.
• CONSOL Energy Center. CONSOL Energy Center, operated by AEG Facilities, is Pittsburgh's premier indoor site for sports and entertainment. In addition to being home to the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, the arena hosted the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball second and third rounds as well as the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four and will host the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball second and third rounds.
• David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Completed in 2003 and owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA), the DLCC is located in downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District, within steps of theaters, museums, sport venues, galleries and restaurants. The dynamic architectural design is like no other – breath-taking views, open terraces and a suspended roof structure. As the first LEED Gold certified convention center under the LEED for New Construction rating system, some of the "green" features include: a natural ventilation system, abundant natural daylight, a water reclamation system, and an extensive recycling program. The DLCC continues to adhere to the slogan; "Built Green. Working Green. Every Day" and has now achieved LEED Platinum certification under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system. The DLCC is the first convention center to receive certification under both rating systems.
• AEG Facilities. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry's preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, AEG 1Earth, AEG Encore and AEG Creative to support the success of AEG venues across the globe. The Los Angeles-based organization owns, operates or provides services to the world's most elite venues, including STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), XL Center (Hartford, Conn.), KFC YUM! Center (Louisville, Ky.), AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.), Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.), Target Center (Minneapolis, Minn.), BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas), O.co Coliseum and Oracle Arena (Oakland, Calif.), CONSOL Energy Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), MasterCard Center (Beijing, China), The O2 Arena (London, England), O2 World (Berlin, Germany), O2 World Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany), Ahoy Arena (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Pernambuco Stadium (Recife, Brazil), Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia), ULKER Sports Arena (Istanbul, Turkey), Ericsson Globe Arena (Stockholm, Sweden) and the Qatar National Convention Centre (Doha, Qatar). For more information, please visit www.aegworldwide.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.