SPORTS + OUTDOORS

Top elite gymnasts from Houston, China, Ukraine, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uzbekistan and across the USA will compete March 4 – 6, 2011 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The 17th Annual Houston National Gymnastics Invitational will host teams and individual gymnasts from around the world in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling.

This year’s competition will feature USA’s World Team member and USA National Winter Cup parallel bar champion, Danell Leva of Miami, as well as five-time Olympian, Oksana Chusovitina of Germany. In addition, national and world team member trampoline and tumbling elites will compete in the USA Gymnastics Winter Classic held in conjunction with the HNI.

“This is by far the top field of competitors in the history of the HNI. We have more than 80 elites competing in Men’s and Women’s gymnastics and more then 90 elites on the Trampoline and Tumbling side,” said Event Director Tim Erwin. “We have many 2010 World Championship Team Members, 2008 Olympians, as well as, great Jr. National Team Members.”

Gymnasts will be competing for more than $45,000 in cash prizes and other prestigious awards including the valued Open Team Cup Trophy. This annual competition hosted by the Houston Gymnastics Center of the Jewish Community Center of Houston. Funds for the non-profit organization support scholarship programs for athletes and community outreach programs.

China, which hosted the 2008 summer Olympic games in Beijing, will be sending elite national teams to compete and the Ukraine is sending their Men’s and Women’s World Championships Teams for the first time.

“The Houston National Invitational is one of the few private gymnastics invitational’s to bring in top gymnasts from around the world. The cash awards are exciting because the competition gives so much back to the athletes and coaches,” said Kevin Mazeika, USA Gymnastics National Team Coordinator and former USA World and Olympic Coach.

The Open Team Cup competition begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday for both men’s and women’s teams. Individual and all around elite competitions begin Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the George R. Brown Convention Center or online at www.houstongymnastics.org or by calling 713-595-8179 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

This program is sponsored by local business group, BFL Associates, a job placement and business consulting firm in Houston that has an office in China. Sigma Bleyzer is also a major sponsor for the competition. This program was also made possible, in part, by funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, United Airlines and the United Way.