News

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 23, 2014 – The field is set for the 2014 AT&T American Cup, scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2014, at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum Complex. U.S. National Team member Brenna Dowell of Odessa, Mo./GAGE, joins 2012 Olympic alternate Elizabeth Price of Coopersburg, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center; 2012 Olympian Sam Mikulak of Corona del Mar, Calif./University of Michigan; and 2013 World parallel bars bronze-medalist John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), in representing the USA in the AT&T American Cup, the USA’s most prestigious international invitational and part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s all-around World Cup series.

2013 World all-around champion Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/Bannon’s Gymnastix, and Romania’s Larisa Andrea Iordache have withdrawn from the event due to injury. Biles, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, aggravated that shoulder during the pre-competition training camp at the USA Gymnastics National Team Training Center at the Karolyi Ranch, a U.S. Olympic training site. She is expected to get an MRI in the near future.

“We wish both Simone and Larisa a speedy recovery,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “This will be an exciting competition. Brenna and Elizabeth, along with Sam and John, will be great representatives for our country, and we expect this year’s AT&T American Cup to be outstanding.”

The AT&T American Cup field has eight women and nine men, because USA Gymnastics exercised its wild card option to have two U.S. men entered in the field.

Men’s field
Belarus – Andrey Likhovitskiy
Brazil – Sergio Sasaki Junior
Germany – Fabian Hambuechen
Great Britain – Sam Oldham
Great Britain – Daniel Purvis
Japan – Shogo Nonomura
Spain – Fabian Gonzalez
USA – Sam Mikulak, Corona del Mar, Calif./University of Michigan
USA – John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center)



Women’s field
Canada – Victoria Moors
Germany – Sophie Scheder
Italy – Carlotta Ferlito
Italy – Vanessa Ferrari
Spain – Roxana Popa Nedelcu
Switzerland – Giulia Steingruber
USA – Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo./GAGE
USA – Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center

Dowell was the bronze medalist in both the all-around and the uneven bars at the 2013 P&G Championships. In 2013, she was third in both the all-around and uneven bars at the City of Jesolo Trophy, where she assisted the USA in bringing home the team gold medal. Price is tied for the top spot in the all-around World Cup rankings.

Ticket prices, which range from $25-$125, include facility fees and vary according to ticket location. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster,com, Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, and the Greensboro Coliseum box office. For group (10+ people) sales information, please call the Coliseum group sales department at (336) 373-7433. For more information, go to attamericancup.com.

Invitations to compete in the AT&T American Cup were based on performances at the 2013 World Gymnastics Championships. The AT&T American Cup became an International Gymnastics Federation all-around World Cup event in 2011 and is part of the FIG’s all-around World Cup series.

In conjunction with the AT&T American Cup, the Nastia Liukin Cup, which features many of the country’s top Junior Olympic female gymnasts, will be held Feb. 28 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The Nastia Liukin Cup, named after the 2008 Olympic all-around gold medalist, showcases gymnasts who qualify through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series. The Cup series includes many of the country’s top invitationals held throughout January and February. The 2014 Greater Greensboro Invitational, Feb. 26-March 2, 2014, is the final qualifying event for the Nastia Liukin Cup. This is the first time the event has been part of the Nastia Liukin Cup Series. In addition, the equipment and podium brought in for the AT&T American Cup will be used for the finals for designated women’s sessions of the invitational.

Kristie Phillips-Bannister of Troutman, N.C., who owns the Kristie Phillips Athletic Center (KPAC), is a two-time American Cup champion. Katelyn Ohashi of Allen, Texas/WOGA, and Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma, won the 2013 AT&T American Cup. The impressive list of former American Cup champions also includes Bart Conner, Tim Daggett, Paul Hamm, Jonathan Horton, Shawn Johnson, Danell Leyva, Liukin, Shannon Miller, Carly Patterson, Mary Lou Retton, Peter Vidmar and Jordyn Wieber. Past sites for the American Cup include: New York City (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004, 2008, 2012); Ft. Worth, Texas (1981, 1996-98); Indianapolis, Ind. (1985); Fairfax, Va. (1986-90, 2003); Orlando, Fla. (1991-94, 2000-02); Seattle, Wash. (1995); St. Petersburg, Fla. (1999); Uniondale, N.Y. (2005); Philadelphia (2006); Jacksonville, Fla. (2007, 2011); Hoffman Estates, Ill. (2009); and Worcester, Mass. (2010, 2013).

The Nastia Liukin Cup made its debut in 2010 in Worcester and returned in 2013. Other sites for the Nastia Liukin Cup are Jacksonville, Fla. (2011) and New York City (2012).

Background information

• AT&T. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att. © 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

• Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility designed to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding area through a broad range of activities, including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, and public and private events of all kinds including conventions, convocations and trade and consumer shows. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country hosting more than 1,000 events on an annual basis. With its incredible versatility, the Complex has gained worldwide acclaim from promoters, producers, event planners and patrons. For more information; www.greensborocoliseum.com.

• International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The International Gymnastics Federation is the governing body for gymnastics worldwide. It is the oldest established international sports federation and has participated in the Olympic Games since their revival in 1896. The FIG governs seven disciplines: gymnastics for all, men’s artistic, women’s artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, aerobic and acrobatic. It counts 135 national member federations and boasts a 27-person staff at its international seat in Lausanne, Switzerland, host city of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For more information, visit http://www.fig-gymnastics.com.