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U.S.
Judo, Taekwondo Olympic Team Trials
Doubling Up for June 5 Competition in San Jose
For
Immediate Release – December 17, 2003
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced
today that the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for judo and
taekwondo will take place in a two-sport competition
June 5 at the San Jose State Event Center. This first-of-its-kind,
dual-discipline format will feature American athletes
vying for the honor of representing the USA at the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
In announcing
that the “Road to Athens” would
again take the U.S. judo and taekwondo hopefuls through
San Jose, USOC Chief of Sport Performance Jim
Scherr cites the strong support of the region’s residents
for Olympic sports, adding, “We have great partners
in the City of San Jose and the San Jose Sports Authority.”
In February
2003, the San Jose State Event Center was the multi-staged
venue for the inaugural “Titan
Games: The Road to Athens” featuring wrestling,
boxing, fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting,
and athletics (shot put). Elite athletes representing
the United States and other world sports powers competed
in the “USA versus the World” format in dual
and triangular meets.
“USA Judo is extremely pleased to partner with
the U.S. Olympic Committee and the San Jose Sports Authority
to conduct our trials in a community that has a history
of embracing the martial arts,” says USA Judo Executive
Director Bill Rosenberg. “We know that our athletes
will be most welcome and that the local organizers will
provide an outstanding opportunity for the athletes to
showcase their talents.”
Rosenberg
also has praise for the USOC’s partnerships
with the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and American
cities to promote the Olympic sports and the hopefuls
preparing for Athens. “The USOC’s facilitation
of a joint trials is an important step in maximizing
efforts on behalf of smaller NGBs who would otherwise
struggle to achieve such positive arrangements.”
Scherr says
the USOC will continue to work closely with the NGBs
to increase sport exposure by spotlighting the
on-going journey of athletes as they prepare for an Olympic
Games and not limit the focus to the 17 days of competition. “Team
Trials are always exciting and the competition is intense.
In June, sports fans in the San Jose area will be able
to see in person athletes who just a few months later
will be competing in Athens. As an Olympian I know how
special it is to earn the honor of representing the USA.
It’s an exceptional moment that Californians will
have an opportunity to share with these members of the
2004 U.S. Olympic Team.”
Tickets for the June 5 U.S. Olympic Judo and Taekwondo
Team Trials are expected to go on sale March 1.
"The Trials will be a great event for the city – another
in a long line of Olympic sports the Sports Authority
has hosted,” says Dean Munro, San Jose Sports Authority
Executive Director. “Moreover, given the popularity
of the martial arts in Northern California, the event
will be tremendously successful."
The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization
that serves as the sports marketing agency for the City
of San Jose. Since its inception in 1991, the SJSA has
worked with its community partners to bring more than
120 premier events and programs to the San Jose area.
The Sports Authority was also a co-host of the USOC's
inaugural Titan Games last February.
For additional information, please contact the USOC
Media and Public Relations Division, 719-866-4529. |
