GYMNASTICS: All-Session tickets for 2008 Visa Championships in Houston go on sale on Feb. 6

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Feb. 5, 2008-All-session ticket packages for the 2008 Visa Championships, scheduled for May 22-24 at Reliant Park in Houston, go on sale on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m. CT. The 2008 Visa Championships, USA Gymnastics' national championships, includes men's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling, featuring both junior and senior elite levels. All-session ticket prices range from $100-250 for artistic gymnastics, with those for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline selling for $45. Tickets may be purchased charge by phone at 713-629-3700; online at www.ticketmaster.com; at all Ticketmaster outlets; at the Reliant Stadium South Box Office; or through participating area gymnastics clubs."Every competition during an Olympic year is important, and these athletes will put on a great show at the Visa Championships,"said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics."The Visa Championships is where the men will qualify for the Olympic Trials, so Houston fans will see the best in men's gymnastics up close and personal. In addition to men's gymnastics, fans also can see rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling at the Visa Championships. Having this incredible mix of athletes together will be a great event."The country's best gymnasts are vying for national titles and spots on their respective U.S. national teams. In addition, the Visa Championships is men's gymnastics' qualifying event for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, June 19-22 in Philadelphia. For women's trampoline, the Visa Championships is the third of four events where points toward Olympic selection are earned."It's fitting that USA Gymnastics is holding the 2008 Visa Championships in Houston,"said Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau."So many world-class gymnasts have been trained right here in Houston, and we have a community that strongly supports our hometown athletes. We're looking forward to hosting this talented group.""Houston and Reliant Park are excited to host the 2008 Visa Championships," said Shea Guinn, president of SMG-Reliant Park, "This event will showcase the best of these gymnasts as they pursue their Olympic dream."Reliant Arena will host men's artistic gymnastics and Reliant Center is the site for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling. The schedule for men's artistic gymnastics is: Thursday, May 22-senior men's first day of competition at 7 p.m.; and May 24-junior men's all-around and individual event finals at 12:30 p.m., and the final day of the senior men's competition at 6 p.m. On May 23, Reliant Arena will host the U.S. Classic, a women's gymnastics event. The schedule for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline is: Thursday, May 22-junior rhythmic all-around prelims and individual event finals at 10 a.m., and senior rhythmic all-around prelims and individual event finals at 2:30 p.m.; Friday, May 23-junior trampoline and tumbling prelims at 10 a.m., and senior trampoline and tumbling prelims at 2:30 p.m.; and Saturday, May 24-junior rhythmic all-around and trampoline and tumbling finals at 10 a.m., and senior rhythmic all-around and trampoline and tumbling finals at 2:30 p.m. In 2007, David Durante of Garwood, N.J., joined an impressive list of gymnasts who have earned the coveted title of U.S. all-around champion. The roster of former all-around champions is a veritable who's who in gymnastics, including Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar and Bart Conner. Lisa Wang is the defending all-around champion for rhythmic gymnastics. In senior elite trampoline and tumbling in 2007, Kalon Ludvigson of Plano, Texas, successfully defended his U.S. titles in men's tumbling and double mini-trampoline, and Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., earned his third consecutive U.S. men's trampoline title. Other reigning champions are: Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., men's synchronized trampoline; Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, Ill., women's trampoline and synchronized trampoline; Alaina Williams of Amarillo, Texas, women's synchronized trampoline; Yuliya Hall of Idaho Falls, Idaho, women's tumbling; and Kaci Barry of San Diego, Calif., women's double mini-trampoline. The Visa Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men. About Reliant Park Reliant Park is managed and operated by SMG. Reliant Park is the premier convention, tradeshow, entertainment and sports complex located in Houston-the cultural center and urban hub of Texas. Four major facilities-Reliant Center, Reliant Stadium, Reliant Arena and Reliant Astrodome-encompass 350 acres. Having previously hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2002 and 2005 Big 12 Conference Football Championships, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regionals in 2008 and 2010, the Final Four in 2011 and now the 2008 Visa Championships, Reliant Park is establishing itself as a long-term home for major national and international sporting events. About Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau Houston is a cultural melting pot-home to a vibrant arts scene, thriving ethnic neighborhoods and NASA's Johnson Space Center. Houston is one of a handful of American cities to house professional theater companies for each of the major arts disciplines. Sports fans can rally behind Houston's professional teams in nearly every major sport. Houston is also home to the world's largest concentration of medical professionals, world's largest rodeo and nationally acclaimed restaurants and shopping. With 56,405 acres of total park space, Houston rates first among the nation's 10 most populous cities in total acreage of park land. For more information on Houston, log on to www.visithoustontexas.com or call 1-800-4HOUSTON. About Visa USA Visa USA is a leading payments brand and the nation's largest payments system, enabling banks to provide their consumer and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders-financial institutions, cardholders and merchants. In the United States, more than 521 million Visa-branded cards have been issued by our 13,320 financial institution customers. Visa products generated nearly $1.8 trillion in total volume in the United States through March 2007 and enjoy unsurpassed acceptance around the globe. For more information, visit www.visa.com. About USA Gymnastics Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics. For more complete information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org. #