Olivia Dunne Qualifies to the 2020 Nastia Cup

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 24, 2020 – The Elevate the Stage meet, which took place in Toledo, Ohio over the weekend, was the eighth and final round of invitationals of the 2020 Nastia Liukin Cup Series.

Olivia Dunne of Hillsdale, N.J./ENA Paramus and Zoe Johnson of Durham, N.C./Bull City qualified for the final two spots of the 2020 Nastia Liukin Cup, taking place March 6 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. 2020 is the 11th annual edition of the Cup, which was started in 2010 by 2008 Olympic all-around gold-medalist Nastia Liukin.

A total of 18 junior and 18 senior gymnasts advanced to the Nastia Liukin Cup. Senior athletes must be 16 years of age or older, and junior athletes must be 15 or younger, with an age determination date of December 31, 2020. The Nastia Liukin Cup is held the night before the 2020 American Cup, slated for March 7 at Fiserv Forum.

The 36 participants in the Nastia Liukin Cup were selected through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series, which featured 18 of the country’s top gymnastics invitationals held throughout the United States.

Gymnasts who compete in the Nastia Liukin Cup will receive a Nastia Liukin-designed leotard and a warm-up from GK Elite; two tickets to the Nastia Liukin Cup; and the opportunity to meet Liukin and participate in a group photo.

Tickets for the American Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Fiserv Forum Ticket Office, FiservForum.com or Ticketmaster.com. Discounted tickets are available through local gymnastics clubs that are participating in the club ticket sales program. For information on club sales or group tickets, call 414.227.2875.

For more information on the Nastia Liukin Cup, please go to nastialiukincup.com.

The Nastia Liukin Cup made its debut in 2010. Past sites include 2018, Hoffman Estates, Ill.; 2016 and 2017, Newark, N.J.; 2015, Arlington, Texas; 2014 and 2019, Greensboro, N.C.; 2013 and 2010, Worcester, Mass.; 2012, New York City; and 2011, Jacksonville, Fla.

Background information

• 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. Liukin has graced many magazine covers and appeared on various shows, including “Gossip Girl,” “Make It or Break It,” and the feature film, “Stick It.” Liukin was a contestant in the 2015 spring edition of “Dancing with the Stars” and was the grand marshal for the 2015 Indianapolis 500. She currently serves as a gymnastics analyst for NBC Sports and is a founder of Grander, a global community for the next generation of female athletes that provides access to the people who inspire, resources to help achieve dreams, and communities of like-minded people with similar ambitions. Liukin was coached by her father, Valeri, who has four Olympic medals from 1988 including two gold.
• VISIT Milwaukee. VISIT Milwaukee is the Greater Milwaukee area’s convention and visitors bureau, marketing the destination as a top choice for business, convention, and leisure travel to national and international visitors in order to increase the economic impact of tourism in the region. Each year, tourism supports over 52,000 full-time jobs and brings more than $5.7 billion to the community. VISIT Milwaukee has over 700 members, including hotels/motels, restaurants, attractions, services, and area businesses. The Wisconsin Center District, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, and City of Wauwatosa are strategic partners with VISIT Milwaukee, providing funding support for conventions and tourism programs. For more information call 1-800-554-1448 or visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.
• Fiserv Forum. Fiserv Forum is much more than just the new home for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. Designed to reflect the heritage, history and personality of Milwaukee while actively projecting progress, accessibility and a renewed sense of community, the state of the art, 714,000 square foot arena is the hub of entertainment in Wisconsin and the engine that drives growth in downtown Milwaukee. Over the coming years, the 30-acre district surrounding Fiserv Forum will become the largest development project ever undertaken in downtown Milwaukee. Combining entertainment, residential and commercial spaces, the new district will transform Milwaukee and serve as a catalyst for driving development throughout the region; For more information, visit www.fiservforum.com.
• USA Gymnastics. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its athlete safety policies and procedures, including adopting the updated USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy. Former gymnast and business executive Li Li Leung is the new president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, visit www.usagym.org