Gymnasts like three-time U.S. champion Alex Naddour could be competing in Hartford in 2016 when the XL Center hosts the men’s national championships and a key pre-Olympic women’s competition. Above, Naddour competes at the world championships in October where he was sixth on the pommel horse. (Photo courtesy USA Gymnastics)
Before they compete in Brazil representing the United States in the 2016 Olympic Games, America’s best male and female gymnasts will be in Hartford for a key meet on June 3-5, 2016 at the XL Center, USA Gymnastics announced earlier this month.
The 2016 men’s national championship meet and a major woman’s pre-Olympic event called the Secret Classic will be held in Hartford.
For the U.S. men, it will be their final opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials that will be held three weeks later in St. Louis. For the U.S. women, the Secret Classic will be the final meet for their national championship meet three weeks later, also in St. Louis. The women’s Olympic Trials are scheduled for early July in San Jose.
It will be the first time since 1976 that USA Gymnastics is holding the men’s and women’s Olympic trials on separate dates. It is to give the U.S. men more time to recover from the trials and prepare for the Olympics.
“Our ultimate goal is to prepare our men and women to perform at their best at the Olympics in Rio,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The demands for the final preparations are different for men’s and women’s gymnastics, and we have split both the trials and championships to provide the desired scheduling leading up to the Olympics.”
Tickets for the event will go on sale in 2015. “Hartford has been a solid partner for USA Gymnastics,” said Penny, “and we are excited to bring an Olympic year event to this community.”
“We’re thrilled to host this event and to continue building the terrific partnership between USA Gymnastics and the City of Hartford. It should be a fantastic event,” said Global Spectrum’s Chris Lawrence, general manager of the XL Center.
The men’s and women’s national championship meets were previously held in Hartford in 2010 and 2013.