2022 Winter Cup, Elite Team Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup coming to Texas in February


INDIANAPOLIS, December 22, 2021 – USA Gymnastics’ 2022 premier events season will kick off February 25-27 with the three-day Winter Cup at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas. The event, which will once again feature both men’s and women’s divisions, will be accompanied by the Elite Team Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup.

“After the success of last year’s Winter Cup – the first to feature both men’s and women’s competitions – we can’t wait to bring this event to Texas,” said Stefanie Korepin, USA Gymnastics’ Chief Programs Officer. “This is an exciting time to be a gymnastics fan with so much up-and-coming talent. Fans will have the opportunity to cheer on some of their favorite athletes while getting to know a whole new generation of gymnasts who have their eyes set on Paris in 2024 and beyond.”

With teams from USA Gymnastics’ Region 3 typically dominating the Elite Team Cup and Nastia Liukin calling Frisco her hometown, the three-day event will have a decidedly Texas flavor.

“Visit Frisco is thrilled to welcome the Winter Cup to Sports City USA this year,” said Josh Dill, Visit Frisco Director of Sports & Events. “Texas has long-been a top location for elite gymnastics talent, and we look forward to showcasing local and national talent at Ford Center in February.”

Top competition on tap

The men’s competition will span two days with the all-around champion crowned Friday and individual event winners determined Sunday. On the women’s side, senior gymnasts will compete Saturday afternoon with juniors to follow on Sunday. Both will vie for all-around and apparatus titles.

Action will get under way Friday afternoon with the 13th annual Nastia Liukin Cup. This year’s Cup will feature an expanded field of 20 junior and 20 senior gymnasts determined based on performances at a series of invitationals held around the U.S. in the coming weeks. Proceeds from the Nastia Liukin Cup support the Nastia Liukin Fund, a charitable fund within the National Gymnastics Foundation.

“I am beyond thrilled to have the 13th edition of the Nastia Liukin Cup here in my hometown,” said 2008 Olympic all-around champion and the event’s founder, Liukin. “Thirteen is my lucky number, so it seems more than a happy coincidence that USA Gymnastics’ Winter Cup and the Nastia Liukin Cup will be hosted in Frisco this year. I look forward to welcoming these amazing gymnasts and their families to the city I call home.”

Region 3, which features athletes from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and host Texas, will look to continue its unbeaten streak in the Elite Team Cup Saturday evening. The competition pits teams comprised of Junior Elite gymnasts from each of USA Gymnastics’ nine men’s artistic gymnastics regions against one another with the winner earning national bragging rights for the year. Region 3 has hoisted the cup each year since the event’s inception in 2016.

How to watch

NBC will broadcast the senior women’s competition live on Saturday, February 26, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The men’s all-around will air on the Olympic Channel Friday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET preceded earlier in the day by the Nastia Liukin Cup, which will be broadcast live on the Olympic Channel at 2:30 p.m. ET.

All-session tickets will be available for public purchase January 5, 2022. Additional details are forthcoming.

The competition schedule for the 2022 Winter Cup, Elite Team Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup is subject to change.

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About USA Gymnastics
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, overseeing six disciplines: acrobatic, artistic, gymnastics for all, parkour, rhythmic, and trampoline and tumbling. A member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and International Gymnastics Federation, the organization serves more than 200,000 members, including athletes from the beginner to elite levels, parents, coaches, clubs and club owners, and supports the U.S. teams for the Olympic Games, World Championships, and other top-tier international events. USA Gymnastics is committed to delivering top-quality education, actively growing the sport across all levels and disciplines, and providing safe, positive and empowering experiences for all participants. For more on USA Gymnastics, visit www.usagym.org.

About Visit Frisco
Founded in 2003, Visit Frisco has grown in tandem with the extensive growth of leisure travel, sports and meeting facilities within the city. It’s the organization’s mission to champion all things Frisco and generate a positive awareness of Frisco as a premiere destination for meetings, sporting events, conventions, trade shows, leisure travel, which positively impact the economic base of the City of Frisco. Official accreditation recognizing excellence and achievement was awarded in 2009 by the industry organization Destination’s International. For more information, head to visitfrisco.com.

About Nastia Liukin
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Liukin’s total of five medals tied the U.S. gymnastics record for most medals in one Olympic Games. Liukin’s Olympic medals are: gold – all-around; silver – team, balance beam and uneven bars; and bronze – floor exercise. Liukin was the third of five U.S. women to win the Olympic all-around crown. She also won nine World medals in her career. In 2018, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, and in 2019, she was named to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. Liukin was coached by her father, Valeri, who has four Olympic medals from 1988 including two gold. Outside of her impressive athletic accomplishments, Nastia commentates gymnastics with NBC and founded a digital platform, The Muse Collective, to provide tools, resources, and community to those who otherwise may not have access to such opportunities.