Birmingham to Get Visit From Olympic Gymnasts
10/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
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INDIANAPOLIS - The 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions, featuring all-around champion Carly Patterson and Alabama gymnastics recruit Terin Humphrey, will tumble through Birmingham at 7 p.m. Nov. 23 with a newly added stop at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Arena.
The T.J. Maxx Tour - the nation's premier post-Olympic gymnastics tour - features members of the silver medal-winning men's and women's gymnastics Olympic Team that brought home a record total of nine medals. The visit is a return trip for the team, which trained for the T.J. Maxx Tour in Birmingham after evacuating Florida ahead of Hurricane Ivan.
The addition of Birmingham brings the total number of cities on the T.J. Maxx Tour to 41. Tickets for the Birmingham show go on sale at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 7 at all Birmingham area Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (205) 715-6000, and at the BJCC Arena Box Office. For group tickets, contact Group Sales at (205) 458-8487.
"The greater Birmingham community has always supported USA Gymnastics and its Olympians at a very high level," said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi. "We are thankful to Birmingham for hosting our training, and now we're proud to feature the stars of Athens in bringing the 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour to Birmingham."
Planning to perform are members of the 2004 women's U.S. Olympic Team: Humphrey, Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Annia Hatch and Mohini Bhardwaj. On the men's side, team silver medalists Jason Gatson, Brett McClure and Guard Young will tour, along with team alternates Raj Bhavsar and Steve McCain. Rhythmic gymnastics Olympian Mary Sanders, trampoline two-time Olympian Jennifer Parilla, and world champion Sports Acro athletes Shenea Booth and Arthur Davis are also planning to participate. Also on the program are a pair of Cirque du Soleil veterans, aerial stuntman Russ Stark and aerial hoop-dance artist Emilie Therrien.
The high-flying T.J. Maxx Tour format combines elements of cirque-style modern performance art with elite gymnastics to push the boundaries of athleticism and gymnastics to all-new levels. The Tour begins Sept. 18 in Atlanta and concludes Nov. 28 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Spectators can ask questions of the athletes and listen to the medalists discuss their Olympic experience during the "T.J. Maxx Behind The Team" presentation prior to each show. For more information, and to register for the "T.J. Maxx Behind The Team" presentation, visit www.tjmaxxgymnasticstour.com.
The Tour will also continue T.J. Maxx's and USA Gymnastics' long-standing relationship with Special Olympics of America by featuring Team T.J. Maxx Special Olympic athletes in each of the Tour's 39 performances nationwide. Team T.J. Maxx athletes from each city will play an active role in Tour shows, demonstrating gymnastics and distributing Special Olympics information to spectators. Special Olympics athletes have performed in USA Gymnastics' tours since 2000.
USA Gymnastics owns and operates the T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions, and will conduct the tour in partnership with the Arena Network. As in the highly successful 2003 Tour, the 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour will be under the creative direction of One Reel and The Howard Company, with support from Associate Sponsor Tyson Foods, Inc. and apparel provided by GK/Elite Sportswear.
T.J. Maxx, the nation's largest off-price retailer, was founded in 1977 and has since grown to more than 750 stores in 48 states. T.J. Maxx offers brand name merchandise for the entire family and home at prices up to 60% below department and specialty store prices, every day. T.J. Maxx is a proud sponsor of USA Gymnastics and USA Gymnastics events, including the 2000 and 2003 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions, and the 2001 T.J. Maxx International Gymnastics Challenge.
For more information, athlete bios and features, log on to www.tjmaxxgymnasticstour.com or www.usa-gymnastics.org. Media seeking images should visit www.usa-gymnastics.org/pr/images/images.html.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. For more information about USA Gymnastics and its programs, access USA Gymnastics online at www.usa-gymnastics.org.
