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For those of you wondering what all the commotion was at 30th Street Station Wednesday afternoon, it was a kickoff to hype the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics taking place at the Wachovia Center June 19 to 22. Mayor Michael Nutter welcomed USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny and legendary coach Bela Karolyi to town for the "gymnastics gala" to celebrate the official countdown.
"Philadelphia is our last stop on the road to Beijing and we are looking forward to coming to the Wachovia Center for the U.S. Olympic Team Trails," Penny said in a news release. "This will be an exciting competition as the country’s top gymnasts vie for the opportunity to represent the U.S.A. in Beijing."
The event begins 7 p.m. June 19 with the first day of men’s competition followed by the women’s event the same time June 20. Competition for the men concludes 3 p.m. June 21 and the women wrap up 6 p.m. June 22.
Two athletes with Delaware Valley ties could be contenders for Olympic roster spots. On the men’s side, Sean Golden, a native of Camden, N.J., now trains out of the Houston Gymnastics Academy. He has competed nationally and internationally, including the 2007 Visa Championships where he took first in the vault, second in the still rings and fourth on the floor exercise. Darlene Hill calls Mount Laurel, N.J., home and it’s where she practices at Will-Moor School of Gymnastics. Last year, Hill competed in the Visa Championships (sixth in the uneven bars) and Grand Prix in Scotland (fourth in the uneven bars).
Philadelphia was one of the cities under consideration by the United States Olympic Committee for the 2016 Summer Games, eventually losing out to Chicago. It wasn’t a total lost cause, as the city has positioned itself to host national events, including Drexel University’s hosting of the ’08 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Table Tennis last month. "Our previous Olympic bid efforts served as a great launching pad for Philadelphia to bring more Olympic-related sporting events to the region," Joseph M. Torsella, co-chairman of the Philadelphia Olympic & International Sports Project, an initiative of the Philadelphia Sports Congress, said. "Hosting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for gymnastics will help us to celebrate the 2008 Road to Beijing and sets us well on our way to positioning Philadelphia as a truly international sports city."
All-session tickets range from $100 to $500 and may be purchased at ComcastTIX.com at 1-800-298-4200; the Wachovia Center box office; or through participating area gymnastics clubs.
