GREENSBORO, N.C., Feb. 27, 2014 – Gymnastics is taking over Greensboro, N.C., this week when the city and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex host three gymnastics competitions, which represent different levels in the sport. The 2014 Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational kicked things off on Wednesday, Feb. 26. On Feb. 28, the Nastia Liukin Cup, which features many of the country’s top Junior Olympic female gymnasts, takes center stage at 7:30 p.m. The week culminates with the 2014 AT&T American Cup, the most prestigious international invitational held in the USA, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 1.
This year’s AT&T American Cup has a strong field that includes four of the USA’s top gymnasts: Brenna Dowell of Odessa, Mo./GAGE, the U.S. all-around bronze medalist; Elizabeth Price of Coopersburg, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, who is tied for the lead in the World Cup all-around rankings; Sam Mikulak of Corona del Mar, Calif./University of Michigan, a 2012 Olympian who is the reigning U.S. all-around champion; and John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), the 2013 World parallel bars bronze-medalist. The AT&T American Cup is an International Gymnastics Federation World Cup event.
The complete field is: men – Andrey Likhovitskiy of Belarus, Sergio Sasaki Junior of Brazil, Fabian Hambuechen of Germany, Sam Oldham of Great Britain, Daniel Purvis of Great Britain, Shogo Nonomura of Japan, Fabian Gonzalez of Spain, Mikulak and Orozco; and women – Victoria Moors of Canada, Sophie Scheder of Germany, Carlotta Ferlito of Italy, Vanessa Ferrari of Italy, Roxana Popa Nedelcu of Spain, Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland, Dowell and Price.
Held the night before the AT&T American Cup, the Nastia Liukin Cup, named after the 2008 Olympic all-around gold medalist, showcases 18 junior and 18 senior gymnasts who qualified through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series. The Cup series included 20 of the country’s top invitationals held throughout January and February. The one-night event will crown both a junior and senior champion. Liukin, who has five Olympic and nine World medals to her credit, will be in town for this event. For more information, go to nastialiukincup.com.
The 2014 Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational, which runs through March 2, attracts 3,200 participants and has competition in Levels 2-10 and Xcel for women’s gymnastics, Levels 4-10 for men’s gymnastics, and Levels 1 through elite for trampoline and tumbling. For more information on the Greensboro Invitational, go to http://www.greensborogyminvite.com.
Fan activities
Fans who come to the arena for both the Nastia Liukin Cup and the AT&T American Cup will have some fun activities and easy access to information.
Ways to follow the Nastia Liukin Cup and AT&T American Cup
Fans can enjoy coverage of the 2014 Nastia Liukin Cup and the AT&T American Cup online, on television and on their favorite social media networks. Here’s how to follow the events this weekend.
Nastia Liukin Cup, Feb. 28, 7-9:30 p.m. ET
Ways to follow
AT&T American Cup, March 1, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. ET
Ways to follow
Event information
Tickets for both events are still available and prices, which vary according to ticket location, include facility fees. For the AT&T American Cup, tickets range from $25-$125, and Nastia Liukin Cup tickets are $30. Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, and the Greensboro Coliseum box office.
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 past 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, Kurt Thomas, Peter Vidmar, Jordyn Wieber and Kim Zmeskal. 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).
A portion of the proceeds from the Nastia Liukin Cup benefits the Nastia Liukin Fund, a charitable fund in partnership with the National Gymnastics Foundation (www.usagym.org/foundation). 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.
