2016 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials
Posted On: December 4, 2014 By :The U.S. Olympic Team Trials in gymnastics will be split between two cities for the first time since 1976, with men and women competing at different sites in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Summer Games. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee have awarded the 2016 women’s trials to San Jose and the men’s trials to St. Louis.
The men’s event is scheduled for June 24 and 26 at Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena, which hosted the 2012 national championships. The women’s trials are set for July 8 and 10 at SAP Center in San Jose, the site of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
“San Jose and St. Louis knocked it out of the park with these two premier championship events in 2012,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “We are confident that these two cities are the perfect setting for determining the gymnasts who will represent the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games.”
According to USA Gymnastics, the trials and nationals for men’s and women’s gymnastics are being held separately to accommodate differences in scheduling that are needed to identify and prepare athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a result, the P&G Gymnastics Championships for women will be held June 23 and 25 in conjunction with the men’s trials in St. Louis. The P&G Gymnastics Championships for the senior men will be staged June 3–5 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, along with the Secret U.S. Classic for women’s gymnastics.
The local organizers for the women’s trials are the San Jose Sports Authority and SAP Center at San Jose. “For each of the athletes competing at the event, the Olympic Trials represent the culmination of many years of hard work, training and sacrifice,” said Patricia Ernstrom, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority. “It is our priority to ensure that each of these athletes has an excellent and memorable experience when coming to San Jose to compete for a spot on the 2016 Olympic Team.”
For St. Louis, it marks the first time in recent history that the Olympic Trials for gymnastics have been held in the city, and the third time the city has hosted USA Gymnastics’ national championships. The St. Louis Sports Commission is the local partner for the events.
“As an organization dedicated to celebrating St. Louis’ Olympic legacy, the sports commission is honored to host the nation’s top gymnasts prior to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio,” said Sports Commission President Frank Viverito. “We have great memories of the 2000 and 2012 national championships held in St. Louis, and we look forward to working with our colleagues at Chaifetz Arena to deliver two exceptional events.”
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