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Visa Championships
to be in HP Pavilion
For
Immediate Release
Contact: Jody Meacham, 408 / 288-2934, jody@sjsa.org
SAN JOSE (July 19, 2005) – San
Jose has been named host of the 2007 Visa Championships,
the national championship of gymnastics, USA Gymnastics
announced today.
The three-day event Aug. 16-18, 2007
will bring the United States’ top Olympic hopefuls
to HP Pavilion for the most important national competition
in their
sport just a year prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing. NBC Sports will cover the event.
The 2007 Visa
Championships in San Jose is currently scheduled to
feature women’s and rhythmic gymnastics;
details on the men’s competition will be determined
at a later date. The event will also include the annual
National Congress and Trade Show for USA Gymnastics.
“This event is one of the premier championships
in the Olympic family of events, and hosting it is
a first for San Jose,” said Dean Munro, executive
director of the San Jose Sports Authority. “This
is great news for our city and the Sports Authority.
Jim Goddard of HP Pavilion deserves the city’s
gratitude for his efforts, and a special thanks to
Dan Fenton of Team San Jose for his support.”
San
Jose previously hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline in 2004 prior
to the Athens Olympic Games.
“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase
San Jose and the local gymnastics community on TV,
and it also will energize our own gymnastics programs
to have the USA’s best athletes come to our city,” said
Dave Peterson, a San Jose gymnastics coach and anticipated
to be one of the leaders of the 2007 local organizing
committee.
USA Gymnastics also announced the
awarding of the 2006 Visa Championships to St. Paul,
Minn.
“USA Gymnastics is excited to have two such
great cities and partners for our most prestigious
domestic event,” said Steve Penny, president
of USA Gymnastics. “The Visa Championships showcase
the USA’s best gymnasts, on both the junior and
senior levels, and it is the perfect chance for fans
to see first-hand the next gymnastics stars in action
as they prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.”
“Visa's support of USA Gymnastics and the Visa
Championships continues to be a cornerstone of our
ongoing commitment to America's Olympic athletes,” said
Michael Lynch, senior vice president, Visa USA. “The
journey for America's summer Olympic hopefuls begins
long before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and the
Visa Championships are a vital step towards helping
our current and future athletes achieve their dreams.”
Based
in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the national governing
body for gymnastics in the United States,
encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence
in the sport. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.
The
San Jose Sports Authority is the sports marketing agency
for the City of San José. Since its creation
in 1991, the Sports Authority has brought 150 events
to the city including six NCAA Championships, the NHL
and MLS All Star Games and the U.S. Figure Skating
Championships. Visit us on the Web at www.sjsa.org.
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