The 36-city Kellogg’s® Tour of Gymnastics Champions kicks off Thursday, Sept. 15, in Spokane, Wash., and promises fans a high-flying, dynamic experience that celebrates the sport’s beauty and skill in each of the disciplines. Bigger and better than ever, the show’s format pairs elite gymnastics skill with modern performance art that pushes the boundaries of athleticism and is sure to keep fans cheering for more.
Tickets are on sale now at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, and online at gilariverarena.com. Platinum and VIP Packages are available in all markets and include Olympian experiences: VIP Package – Pre-Show Chalk Talk hosted by five-time Olympic medalist Liukin that features a Q&A with select members of the 2016 Olympic Team, as well as a post-show autograph session with select members of the 2016 Olympic Team; and Platinum tickets – the Pre-Show Chalk Talk.
The 2016 U.S. Olympians participating in the Tour are: The Final Five – Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman; men’s gymnastics – Chris Brooks, Jake Dalton, Danell Leyva, Sam Mikulak and Alex Naddour; rhythmic – Kiana Eide, Monica Rokhman, Jennifer Rokhman, Kristen Shaldybin and Laura Zeng; and trampoline – Nicole Ahsinger and Logan Dooley. 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson and 2012 Olympic team champion Jordyn Wieber are also on the cast. Due to athletes’ schedules and personal commitments, the cast will vary from stop to stop.
“This year’s Kellogg’s Tour is a welcome home party and celebration for the USA’s success in Rio,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Our athletes won the hearts of fans around the globe last month, and this is a chance for America to see them up close and personal. This year’s Kellogg’s Tour includes the biggest names in the sport, including three Olympic all-around champions and medalists from three Olympic Teams. The Kellogg’s Tour has something for everyone, from the very young to the young at heart.”
While a complete list of athletes scheduled to perform during the Kellogg’s Tour of Champions is listed below, some other cast members to note are: World acrobatic gymnastics mixed pair medalists Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams; World medalists Ashton Locklear (2016 Olympic replacement athlete), MyKayla Skinner (2016 Olympic replacement athlete), Donnell Whittenburg (2016 Olympic replacement athlete), and Brandon Wynn; and 2016 Olympic replacement athlete Ragan Smith. 1996 Olympian John Macready and 2004 Olympian Mary Sanders are also part of the Kellogg’s Tour. The cast of gymnastics champions will be joined by local gymnasts at each tour stop.
“These amazing athletes have shown us that each day is a new opportunity to achieve our goals and that everyday motivations can help lead us to success – regardless of whether you’re a world-class Olympian or a working mom raising her kids,” said Kristin Wesolowski, director of Promotions for Kellogg Morning Foods. “It’s a privilege to help bring these champions to communities across the country.”
During the Kellogg’s Tour, young fans can show what gets them started at the Kellogg’s Fitness and Nutrition Zone at each of the 38 tour performances. The zone will feature activities that teach strength, flexibility and cardio to kids in a fun and engaging way while gaining knowledge about the importance of fitness. Participants will receive a custom Kellogg’s cereal bowl to help get their day started with delicious cereal.
It also will be easy to follow your favorite gymnasts and the Tour: online, kelloggstour.com; Facebook, USAGymnastics; and Twitter, #kelloggstour and @usagym. Visit Facebook.com/Kelloggs to find out more about the Power of Breakfast and find closest the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions stop.
The Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions is produced by USA Gymnastics in partnership with AEG Facilities. Kellogg Company is the exclusive title sponsor, and Chobani, Procter & Gamble, Hershey, Hilton and International Gymnastics Camp are official supporting partners. American Athletic, Inc., and GK Elite are official suppliers.
Kellogg’s has been helping people start their day right for more than 100 years, believing great starts, both big and small, create the potential for great days, every day.
Complete cast list for the 2016 Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions
Women
· Nicole Ahsinger – Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express (trampoline). 2016 Olympian; two-time U.S. trampoline and synchronized trampoline silver medalist (2015-16); competed at the 2015 World Championships and 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
· Simone Biles – Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic team, all-around, vault and floor champion, and balance beam bronze medalist; three-time World all-around champion (2013-15); 14-time World medalist (10 gold, two silver, two bronze); four-time U.S. all-around champion (2013-2016).
· Gabby Douglas – Tarzana, Calif./Buckeye Gymnastics (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic team champion; 2012 Olympic team and all-around gold medalist; 2015 World team champion and all-around silver medalist; three-time World medalist (two gold; one silver); three-time Olympic medalist (three gold).
· Kiana Eide – Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics (group rhythmic gymnastics). 2016 Olympian; two-time World team member (2014-15); 2015 Pan Am Games 6 clubs/2 hoops champion and all-around and 5 ribbons silver medalist.
· Laurie Hernandez – Old Bridge, N.J./ MG Elite (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic team champion and balance beam silver medalist; 2016 U.S. all-around, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise bronze medalist; 2016 Pacific Rim team gold medalist.
· Shawn Johnson – Nashville, Tenn. (women’s gymnastics). 2008 Olympic balance beam champion, and team, all-around and floor silver medalist; 2007 World team, all-around and floor champion; 2007-08 U.S. all-around champion; is a motivational speaker, works with charities and recently married.
· Madison Kocian – Dallas/WOGA Gymnastics (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic team gold medalist and uneven bars silver medalist; 2015 World team and uneven bars champion; 2014 World team gold medalist; 2015 gold and 2014/2016 silver U.S. uneven bars medalist; three-time World medalist (two gold, one silver).
· Nastia Liukin – Parker, Texas. 2008 Olympic all-around champion; five-time Olympic (one gold, three silver and one bronze) and nine-time World medalist (four gold and five silver); works as a TV commentator for NBC Sports and a motivational speaker after graduating from New York University; and is engaged.
· Ashton Locklear – Hamlet, N.C./Everest Gymnastics (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic replacement athlete; 2016 and 2014 U.S. uneven bars champion; 2014 World Championships team champion; 2016 Pacific Rim team and uneven bars champion.
· Aly Raisman – Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic team champion, and all-around and floor silver medalist; 2012 Olympic team and floor gold medalist and balance beam bronze medalist; 2015 World team gold medalist; 2011 World team gold and floor exercise bronze medalist; 2010 World team silver medalist; six Olympic medals (three gold, two silver, one bronze); four-time World medalist (two gold, one silver, one bronze).
· Jennifer Rokhman – Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics (group rhythmic gymnastics). 2016 Olympic replacement athlete; two-time World team member (2014-15); 2015 Pan Am Games 6 clubs/2 hoops champion and all-around and 5 ribbons silver medalist.
· Monica Rokhman – Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics (group rhythmic gymnastics). 2016 Olympian; two-time World team member (2014-15); 2015 Pan Am Games 6 clubs/2 hoops champion and all-around and 5 ribbons silver medalist.
· Kristen Shaldybin – Highwood, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics (group rhythmic gymnastics). 2016 Olympian; 2015 World team member; 2015 Pan Am Games 6 clubs/2 hoops champion and all-around and 5 ribbons silver medalist.
· MyKayla Skinner – Gilbert, Ariz./Desert Lights (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic replacement athlete; 2014 World Championships team champion and vault bronze medalist; 2015-16 U.S. vault silver and floor bronze medalist.
· Ragan Smith – Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics (women’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic replacement athlete; 2016 Pacific Rim team and balance beam gold medalist; 2015 U.S. junior balance beam and floor champion and all-around bronze medalist.
· Jordyn Wieber – DeWitt, Mich. (women’s gymnastics). 2012 Olympic team gold medalist; 2011 World all-around and team gold and balance beam bronze medalist; two-time U.S. all-around champion; currently attending University of California – Los Angeles and serves as team manager for the UCLA women’s gymnastics team.
· Tiffani Williams – Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy (acrobatic gymnastics). 2016 World acrobatic mixed pair silver medalist (with Axel Osborne); two-time U.S. mixed pair champion (2015-16).
· Laura Zeng – Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center (rhythmic gymnastics). 2016 Olympian, 11th place finish ties best U.S. Olympic finish; two-time U.S. all-around, hoop, and ribbon champion (2015-16); 2015 Pan American Games all-around, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon champion; 2014 Youth Olympic all-around bronze medalist.
Men
· Donothan Bailey – Lake Forest, Calif/Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 U.S. pommel horse champion; 2016 Winter Cup pommel horse silver medalist.
· Chris Brooks – Houston/Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympian; 2016 U.S. parallel bars champion and all-around and high bar silver medalist; 2010 and 2015 U.S. horizontal bar champion; member of the 2010 and 2015 World Championships Team; 2012 Olympic replacement athlete.
· Jake Dalton – Sparks, Nev./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma/men’s gymnastics). Two-time Olympian (2012, 2016); 2014 World team and vault bronze medalist; 2013 AT&T American Cup champion; 2013 World floor exercise silver medalist; 2011 World team bronze medalist; four-time U.S. floor (2011-12, 2014,2016) and vault (2009, 2011-12, 2016) champion.
· Logan Dooley – Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics (trampoline). 2016 Olympian; seven-time U.S. synchro champion (2007-10, 2013-14, 2016); U.S. trampoline silver medalist (2010-12, 2015-16); U.S. synchro silver medalist (2006, 2012); 2008 and 2012 Olympic replacement athlete.
· Marvin Kimble – Milwaukee, Wis./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 Winter Cup horizontal bar bronze medalist; 2015 Pan American Games team and pommel horse champion; 2015 Winter Cup still rings champion, pommel horse silver medalist and parallel bars bronze medalist.
· Danell Leyva – Miami/Team Hilton (Universal Gymnastics/men’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic parallel bars and horizontal bar silver medalist; five-time World medalist (2015, high bar silver; 2014, parallel bars silver and team bronze; 2011 parallel bars gold and team bronze); three time U.S. high bar champion (2009, 2011-12) and four time U.S. parallel bars champion (2010-12, 2014); 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist.
· C.J. Maestas – Corrales, N.M./U.S. Olympic Training Center (men’s gymnastics). 2016 U.S. still rings silver medalist; two-time U.S. still rings bronze medalist (2014-15); 2015 NCAA high bar champion and all-around and still rings silver medalist.
· Sam Mikulak – Newport Coast, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). Two-time Olympian (2012, 2016); 2013-16 U.S. all-around champion; 2015 Pan Am Games team and all-around champion and floor exercise and parallel bars bronze medalist; 2014 AT&T American Cup champion; 2014 World team bronze medalist.
· Alex Naddour – Queen Creek, Ariz./Team Hilton (USA Youth Fitness Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic pommel horse bronze medalist; 2011 and 2014 World team bronze medalist; four-time U.S. pommel horse champion (2011-13, 2015); 2016 Pacific Rim team and pommel horse champion; and 2012 Olympic replacement athlete.
· Axel Osborne – Beaumont, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy (acrobatic gymnastics). 2016 World acrobatic mixed pair silver medalist (with Tiffani Williams); two-time U.S. champion (2015-16).
· Eddie Penev – Penfield, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 U.S. floor exercise bronze medalist; 2016 Winter Cup floor exercise and vault gold medalist; 2013 U.S. vault champion; 2013 NCAA floor silver medalist, and team and all-around bronze medalist.
· Donnell Whittenburg – Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center/men’s gymnastics). 2016 Olympic replacement athlete; 2016 U.S. still rings champion; 2016 Pacific Rim team, still rings and parallel bars champion and all-around and vault silver medalist; 2015 World vault bronze medalist; 2014 World team bronze medalist
· Brandon Wynn – Voorhees, N.J./Team Hilton (Ohio State University/men’s gymnastics). 2015 and 2010 World Championships Team member; 2013 World still rings bronze medalist; 2015 U.S. still rings silver medalist; and four-time U.S. still rings champion (2010-11, 2013-14).
