PREVIEW: Stars Lining Up For Shot At American Cup Titles

First FIG World Cup event in USA
International artistic gymnastics stars continue to throw their names in the ring for the 2005 American Cup at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Long Island) on February 26. The 30th anniversary of the American Cup is one of the most traditional international top sport event with different formats in history....

>> Read more about the history of the venue:
NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM

American Cup 2005 - worldwide's first international highlight
To the first time the traditional American Cup became the status of a 'F.I.G. WORLD CUP EVENT'.
So this competition will be a meeting of the world's best athletes at the beginning of a new Olympic cycle.

Rafael Martinaz - Gym Star from Spain

The men’s line-up received a boost with the addition of athletes from Japan, Slovenia, Finland, Spain and Hungary.

Olympic all-around fifth-place finisher Rafael Martinez of Spain is joined by five-time World Cup rings gold medalist Yuri Van Gelder of the Netherlands, nine-time World Cup parallel bars gold medalist Mitja Petkovsek of Slovenia, World Cup Final floor bronze medalist Robert Gal and two-time pommel horse World Cup gold medalist Krisztian Berki of Hungary, former high bar world champion Jani Tanskanen of Finland, five-time World Cup floor gold medalist Diego Hypolito of Brazil, and Olympic team gold medalist Hisashi Mizutori of Japan.

>> Participating Athletes

Daiane dos Santos (BRA)

Among the women planning to participate are Brazilian Olympian and nine-time World Cup medalist Daniele Hypolito, and her teammate, World Champion and World Cup Final champion on floor Daiane dos Santos, Olympic floor bronze medalist Patricia Moreno of Spain, and World Cup floor gold medalist Suzanne Harmes of the Netherlands, along with 2003 Canadian Jr. Champion Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and Canadian Olympic Team alternate Marci Bernholtz.

“We’re very pleased with the entries we’ve received to date from some of the top gymnasts in the world,” said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi. “The American Cup is an important international competition, and a great launching pad for the next generation of Olympians.”

>> Women's working order

Previously announcing their participation were Olympic all-around bronze medalist Zhang Nan and Olympian Cheng Fei of China, and Olympian Soraya Chaouch of France, along with two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria, and Olympians Pierre Yves Beny and Yann Cucherat of France, and Evgeni Sapronenko of Latvia.

Alexander Artemev, son of the former URS legend and four-times Olympic champion Vladimir Artemev

The United States committed the talented women’s squad of Mohini Bhardwaj, Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone and Nastia Liukin.
The women’s roster was confirmed following a verification of readiness at the women’s team training camp prior to the American Cup.

The US men’s roster, announced following the 2005 Winter Cup in Las Vegas, also includes Alexander Artemev, David Sender, Eric LaMorte and Justin Spring.
>> Participating Athletes

In history - from 1976 through 2004 - the American Cup served as the most prestigious international all-around competition on the gymnastics calendar.

The event launched the international careers of many world-class competitors, such as Bart Conner, Kurt Thomas, Mary Lou Retton, Peter Vidmar, Shannon Miller, Blaine Wilson, Kerri Strug and Carly Patterson.

The new American Cup format, which features individual event finals only, allows athletes placing among the top eight on each apparatus to earn World Cup points toward qualification to the bi-annual World Cup Final. Also at stake in the 30th American Cup is approximately $46,000 in prize money.
Source: Brian Eaton, USA Gymnastics

... more information
>> Date, Location, Schedule

The American Cup is the second World Cup of the 2005-2006 circuit following the
>> DTB Pokal 2004 in Stuttgart in late November.

Next international Highlights
Today (February 18) is also the last date of registration for the first European world cup of this year, the third event in this new serie, the >> '29th Cottbus Tournament of Masters'.

It will be followed by the 2nd SIEGFRIED FISCHER TROPHY 2005, held in Sao Paolo, Brazil, from April 8 to April 10.

The 2006 World Cup Final will be also hosted by Brazil.