San Jose flips for gymnastics at the Visa Championships

After two years of preparation and anticipation, the Sports Authority is delighted to welcome the 2007 Visa Championships to San Jose.

Since being awarded the Visa Championships in 2005, our Local Organizing Committee has worked tirelessly alongside USA Gymnastics to stage the finest championships ever held. We are on track to make good on that promise this week.

I'd like to thank all of the members of the committee, which included HP Pavilion at San Jose, Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, the Sports Authority, Team San Jose and representatives from the Northern California gymnastics community and San Jose State, Stanford and UC Berkeley.

With the Summer Games in Beijing now less than a year away and the Olympic spirit brewing in our midst, we look forward to cheering on our U.S. National Champions and future Olympic hopefuls right here in San Jose. For those of you who haven't gotten your tickets yet, this is an event not to be missed!

Thank you to Visa and USA Gymnastics for their partnership and support. We look forward to many more good things to come.

Patricia Ernstrom
Acting Executive Director

San Jose hosts one of the most important national competitions in Olympic sport this week when the Visa Championships comes to HP Pavilion and the McEnery Convention Center beginning Wednesday. This annual competition, which runs through Saturday, Aug. 18, will highlight America's brightest stars one year before the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing.

Tickets for the Visa Championships have been selling at record pace and are available here or the HP Pavilion ticket office and all Ticketmaster locations.

Men's and women's artistic competion will be in HP Pavilion with the men's championship at 7 p.m. Friday and the women's at 6 p.m. Saturday. The convention center will be the scene of competition in rhythmic and acrobatic competitions with finals in both disciplines at 10 a.m. Saturday. Click here to view the full, four-day schedule.

But there's more to the Visa Championships than competition (click here for a map and schedule). Highlights are below:

• Mayor Chuck Reed will officially kick-off the event at noon Wednesday at the south entrance of HP Pavilion which will include unveiling a special street name for the duration of the championships.
• There will be a series of daily fitness workouts and gymnastics demonstrations for the public at the Visa Championships Fitness Plaza, located at the Circle of Palms near the Fairmont Hotel. Peter Vidmar, 1984 Olympic gold medalist, will participate in 6:30 a.m. fitness workouts Thursday and Friday open to everyone. Fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne will participate in Thursday's morning session.
• Local gymnastics clubs will entertain from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Visa Championships Fitness Plaza. These events will also include noon fitness sessions.
• The Visa Fan Fest at HP Pavilion on Saturday will feature music, food and autograph sessions. Saturday's daytime fan fest activities are from 3-5:30 p.m.

NBC Sports will broadcast the Visa Championships.

The First Tee of San Jose Invitational presented by Applied Materials raised $100,000 for the Sports Authority's life skills and golf program for youngsters.

"Last month's tournament at CordeValle, a Rosewood Resort, was the most successful fund-raiser in the history of the The First Tee of San Jose," Victor M. Arrañaga Jr., chair of The First Tee of San Jose board, announced.

Check here for the full list of participating sponsors for this year's event.

The First Tee of San Jose will hold its fall registration on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. For more information, click here.

The Wal-Mart First Open at Pebble Beach will be held Friday, Aug. 31-Sunday, Sept. 2. This Champions Tour event pairs senior pros with junior golfers from The First Tee. Proceeds from advance ticket purchases can be directed to The First Tee of San Jose. Youth 18 and under are free with a paid adult.

COMING UP NEXT MONTH: Summer Sports Review featuring the San Jose Grand Prix, Arena Bowl Champion San Jose SaberCats and Visa Championships.