GYMNASTICS: 2008 Tyson American Cup boasts stellar line up with USA's best gymnasts

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Jan. 11, 2008 - The 2008 Tyson American Cup, March 1, at New York's Madison Square Garden boasts an all-star field, setting the stage for an exciting all-around showdown between the USA's top stars and some of the best from around the world. 2007 all-around world champion Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Jonathan Horton of Houston, who finished fourth in the world in the all-around, are set to defend their 2007 Tyson American Cup titles. 2004 Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm of Waukesha, Wis.; 2007 balance beam world champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas; and 2007 team world champion Shayla Worley of Orlando, Fla., are also representing the red, white and blue. Fabian Hambuechen of Germany and Hisashi Mizutori of Japan, the 2007 all-around world silver and bronze medalists from the 2007 World Championships, have already accepted their invitation to compete. The men's and women's international field is being finalized and is expected to include gymnasts from Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Romania, Russia and Venezuela. Hambuechen, a 2004 Olympian, won the all-around world bronze medal in 2006. Mizutori was the 2005 all-around silver medalist and a member of the 2004 Olympic gold-medal team."This incredible line-up continues the Tyson American Cup's tradition as a showcase for the world's top gymnasts,"said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics."An exciting competition, Madison Square Garden, New York City-this is going to be a great kick off for our Olympic year."A third U.S. man will be named to the squad following the 2008 Winter Cup Challenge, and as in the past, the U.S. athletes will demonstrate competition readiness prior to the event. About the U.S. gymnasts Hamm returned to competitive gymnastics at the 2007 Visa Championships and won the floor exercise, his 10th career national title. He became the first U.S. male gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title when he won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Just one year earlier, Hamm made history by winning the United States' first-ever men's world all-around title at the 2003 World Championships, where he also tied for first on floor and won a team silver medal. He claimed a world bronze medal on floor exercise in 2002. Hamm was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team and the 2001 U.S. World Team that won an unprecedented team silver medal. Hamm won three national all-around crowns and six national individual event titles between 2002 and 2004. Hamm took time off after the 2004 Olympic Games to earn his college degree at Ohio State University, where he trains. Horton became just the fifth U.S. man to finish in the top four at an Olympic Games or a World Championships with his fourth-place finish at the 2007 World Championships. He also was a member of the U.S. Men's Team that finished fourth. Horton's successful career includes back-to-back Tyson American Cup crowns in 2006-07, a national title on the floor exercise in 2006 and being named to two World Championships Teams (2006-07). At the collegiate level, Horton has won six NCAA titles, including the all-around in 2006. In 2007, Horton tied for second on floor exercise at the Winter Cup Challenge and won the all-around at the USA/Ukraine/Russia meet. Horton is a senior at the University of Oklahoma, where he competes on the men's gymnastics team. With her come-from-behind victory in the all-around finals at the 2007 World Championships, Johnson became just the fourth U.S. woman to win the coveted world all-around crown. She joined Kim Zmeskal (1991), Shannon Miller (1993-94) and Chellsie Memmel (2005) as the U.S. women to win an all-around world title. In addition to her all-around title, she also won team and floor exercise gold medals. In 2007, she won every event she entered: the 2007 Tyson American Cup; won the all-around, uneven bars and balance beam gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games, along with the team title; and the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise titles at the 2007 Visa Championships. She trains at Chow's Gymnastics in West Des Moines. Liukin, along with her team title, won the balance beam gold medal and finished second on the uneven bars at the 2007 World Championships. Liukin now has nine world medals (four gold and five silver), tying the mark of nine world medals held by Shannon Miller, who has earned more world and Olympic medals than any other U.S. gymnast (16 total). At the World Championships, Liukin won the uneven bars and balance beam in 2005, along with a silver in the all-around and floor exercise; and in 2006, she earned silver medals in the team and the uneven bars. From 2003-06, Liukin won four straight U.S. all-around titles (junior in 2003-04 and senior in 2005-06), and 10 national individual event crowns (six junior and four senior). She added another U.S. title on uneven bars in 2007. Liukin won the Tyson American Cup in 2006. She trains at WOGA in Plano, Texas. Worley was a member of the 2007 World Championships gold-medal team. Also in 2007, Worley placed second on the balance beam at the U.S. Classic and also finished second in the all-around and the uneven bars at the Visa Championships. At the 2007 USA vs. Great Britain International Competition, she placed first on the uneven bars and second in the all-around, and was a member of the championship team. This is Worley's third straight appearance at the Tyson American Cup (2006-08). She trains at Orlando Metro in Orlando, Fla. Event background Some of the sport's biggest names are former American Cup all-around gold medalists, including: men -- Jason Gatson, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Vitaly Scherbo (Belarus), Tim Daggett, Peter Vidmar, Mitsuo Tsukahara (Japan), Kurt Thomas and Bart Conner; and women -- Carly Patterson, Elena Zamolodchikova (Russia), Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskal, Kristie Phillips, Mary Lou Retton, Julianne McNamara, Stella Zakarova (USSR) and Nadia Comaneci (Romania). First held in 1976, past sites are: New York City (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004); Ft. Worth Texas (1981, 1996-98); Indianapolis, Ind. (1985) ; Fairfax, Va. (1986-90, 2003) ; Orlando, Fla. (1991-94, 2000-02) ; Seattle (1995); St. Petersburg, Fla. (1999) ; Uniondale, N.Y. (2005) ; Philadelphia (2006); and Jacksonville, Fla. (2007) . In addition to its sponsorship of the Tyson American Cup, Tyson is powering gymnasts by providing high-quality chicken, beef and pork to the USA Gymnastics Women's National Training Center in Huntsville, Texas. Tyson's protein-filled products help these talented athletes to develop and maintain the strength and endurance they need to perform at elite events, such as the Tyson American Cup and the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing. About Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area. About Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN] , founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S,P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. 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 information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.