2009 Tyson American Cup To Be Hosted in Chicago.

Boo, it's far away from me. :(

Found this article on usa-gymnastics..org.

CHICAGO (November 13, 2008) –USA Gymnastics and World Sport Chicago (WSC) today jointly announced that the 2009 Tyson American Cup will be held at the Sears Centre Arena in metropolitan Chicago on Feb. 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets went on sale today for the Tyson American Cup, one of the most prestigious international, invitational gymnastics events. Legendary gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi was on hand for the announcement.

"The Tyson American Cup has a long tradition of showcasing and previewing the world’s top gymnasts, and it is a great way to show the gymnastics community that Chicago is the perfect city to host the 2016 Games," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "We are excited about starting our 2012 road to London in the Chicago area."

“We are honored that Chicago will welcome the gymnastics community to this prestigious international competition,” said Bill Scherr, chairman of World Sports Chicago. “We are thrilled that Chicagoans will have the opportunity to come out and see these top athletes from around the world compete.”

The 2009 Tyson American Cup features an all-around format, and the field for the event will be announced at a later date. The list of former champions includes some of the sport’s best-known names, including Bart Conner, Paul Hamm, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Shannon Miller, Carly Patterson, Mary Lou Retton and Peter Vidmar.

“The Tyson American Cup features gymnastics at its highest level and will be a great experience for the fans,” said Dave Hogberg, senior vice president of Tyson Foods. “We are proud to sponsor this prestigious event and to communicate the importance of protein and nutrition to those who attend, as well as the millions of Americans who tune in.”

Ticket prices range from $19.50-$125 and are subject to applicable fees. Tickets may be purchased charge by phone at 312-559-1212 or 1-888-SEARSTIX; online at www.ticketmaster.com; at all Ticketmaster outlets; at the Sears Centre Arena Box Office; or through participating area gymnastics clubs. Visa is the preferred method of payment.

“We are excited to be part of this prestigious event, especially with the success of the U.S. teams in Beijing,” said Jeff Bowen, president of the Sears Centre Arena. “The Tyson American Cup once again will prove to be an exciting competition for both the athletes and fans.”

Karolyi spoke about the Tyson American Cup, as well as expressed his thoughts on Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Games.

“The Tyson American Cup has always been an indicator of great Olympians,” said Karolyi, who has coached 28 Olympians and nine Olympic champions, including Nadia Comaneci, Kerri Strug and Retton. “Mary Lou won the American Cup in 1984 and Kerri won it in 1996, and both went on to win gold medals at the Olympics that same year. Two of the greatest moments of my career are when Mary Lou won at the Olympics in Los Angeles, and when Kerri helped the U.S. women win the title in 1996.

“I’d love for the USA to host the Games on the 20th anniversary of our victory in 1996, and Chicago would be an excellent site for the Games,” said Karolyi, who is currently the director of the U.S. Women’s National Training Center and an ambassador for the sport.

Bela Karolyi speaks to the crowd at the kickoff event.