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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 27, 2007) – To kick-off the celebration of the 2007 Visa Championships coming to San Jose, Bay Area residents and those from the surrounding states are joining together to break the world record for the most cartwheels performed at one time of 932, which was set last year in St. Paul, Minn.
Gymnastics and local celebrities and personalities will be on hand to lead the effort to break the world record, scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1 at the Arena Green adjacent to HP Pavilion at San Jose.
“Breaking the world record is a great opportunity for gymnastics fans and area residents to show their civic pride by surpassing the 932 mark set last year,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Cartwheels are a trick that people of all ages have performed and we invite everyone to come out and help us rewrite the world mark for the most number of cartwheels at one time. This will be a fun, family-oriented activity, and it is a great way to get local residents and fans excited about the Visa Championships that begin on Aug. 15.”
"We're very excited to have the world's best gymnasts in town for the Visa Championships," said Michael Lynch, senior vice president, Visa USA . "In addition to watching these champions on the road to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, we also look forward to seeing gymnastics fans in this community set a 'world record' of their own."
The existing record of 932 was set last year on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul on Aug. 3 as a prelude to the 2006 Visa Championships.
Due to space limitations, only the first 1,000 people to sign up may participate in busting the old mark. For consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records, each individual must register. Participants can pre-register online at www.usa-gymnastics.org for just $5 until July 27, or register on-site on Aug. 1 for $10. The fee covers costs for registering the world record.
“As the Visa Championships draw near, we are looking forward to all the fun and exciting events planned in San Jose to get our community involved in this great national event,” said Patricia Ernstrom, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority. “Breaking the world record is another chance to show just how much San Jose flips for gymnastics!”“HP Pavilion at San Jose is pleased to be hosting the Visa Championships August 15-18 and partnering with USA Gymnastics on this nationally recognized sporting event,” said Jim Goddard, executive vice president and general manager of HP Pavilion. “Attempting to break the world’s cartwheel record in San Jose provides local gymnasts and Bay Area residents a unique opportunity to become involved with the Visa Championships. We encourage everyone to sign up for this fun, family-oriented event.”
In addition to setting the world record, registered participants will receive a free gift from USA Gymnastics and a complimentary ticket voucher to the opening night of the 2007 Visa Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 15, the first day of the senior men’s competition.
The U.S. champions for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics are determined at the Visa Championships, gymnastics’ national championships. Artistic gymnastics will be held at HP Pavilion at San Jose , and rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics are set for the San Jose McEnery Convention Center . The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show, held in conjunction with the Visa Championships, will also be at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
At HP Pavilion, the artistic gymnastics competition schedule for the Visa Championships is: Wednesday, Aug. 15 – 1 p.m., junior men’s all-around and event finals, and 7 p.m., senior men’s first day of competition; Thursday, Aug. 16 – 1 p.m., junior women’s first day of competition, and 7 p.m., senior women’s first day of competition; Friday, Aug. 17 – 7 p.m., senior men’s final day of competition; and Saturday, Aug. 18 – 1 p.m., junior women’s final day of competition, and 6 p.m., senior women’s final day of competition.
NBC Sports is broadcasting action from the women’s competition on a same-weekend, tape-delayed basis during prime time. Coverage from the men’s competition airs later.
The schedule for rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center is: Thursday, Aug. 16 – 9:30 a.m., junior rhythmic gymnastics all-around competition, and 2:30 p.m., senior rhythmic all-around competition; Friday, Aug. 17 – 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., acrobatic gymnastics; and Saturday, Aug. 18 – 10 a.m., rhythmic gymnastics (individual event) and acrobatic gymnastics finals.
Visa Championships tickets for men's and women's artistic and rhythmic/acrobatic gymnastics are on sale now at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office; all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone at (408) 998-TIXS; or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
In 2006, Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas , and Alexander Artemev of Morrison , Colo. /Team Chevron, joined an impressive list of gymnasts who have earned the coveted title of U.S. all-around champion. Some of the sport’s biggest names are former all-around champions, including Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton for the women and Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar and Bart Conner for the men.
The Visa Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women.
About HP Pavilion at San Jose
HP Pavilion at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California . Home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, SAP Open men’s professional tennis tournament and the annual Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament, HP Pavilion also hosts a multitude of events annually including concerts, family shows and civic events.
HP Pavilion at San Jose is an exemplification of architectural excellence and technological innovation. Outside, a shining stainless-steel facade supports a magnificent, glass pyramid entry, soaring 10 stories above the ground. Inside, first-class amenities and leading-edge seismic engineering contribute to the building’s reputation as one of the finest facilities in the United States.
HP Pavilion at San Jose is capable of accommodating a full-range of entertainment. State-of-the-art acoustics, plush seating and a video replay scoreboard add to the comfort and luxury for the venue’s patrons. In addition, the downtown location is easily accessible via several major freeways, light-rail and a regional train station, located across the street.
About San Jose McEnery Convention Center
Considered the hub for meetings and conventions in San Jose , the San Jose McEnery Convention Center opened its doors in April 1989. The facility has 432,000 square feet of function space, including a 22,000 square-foot ballroom and 30 meeting rooms.
About Visa USA
Visa USA is a leading payments brand and the nation's largest payments system, enabling banks to provide their consumer and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders – financial institutions, cardholders and merchants. In the United States , more than 521 million Visa-branded cards have been issued by our 13,320 financial institution customers.
Visa products generated nearly $1.8 trillion in total volume in the United States through March 2007 and enjoy unsurpassed acceptance around the globe. For more information, visit www.visa.com.
About the San Jose Sports Authority
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, it has worked with community partners to bring more than 150 premier events and programs to the San Jose area. For more information, visit www.sjsa.org.
About USA Gymnastics
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.
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