2000 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships

Olympic Hopes for American Gymnasts Hinged on Championships in St. Louis

Click on any image to begin the slide show. Photos by Dave Preston.

July 26-29, 2000 - Savvis Center

Six weeks before heading down under, the nation’s top gymnasts competed in St. Louis at the 2000 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Hosted by the Sports Commission at Savvis Center, the event not only determined USA Gymnastics’ national champions, but also played a major role in deciding who would represent the United States at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The top finishers in St. Louis advanced to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Boston.

"It’s wonderful to be able to say St. Louis was part of the road to the Olympics," Sports Commission President Frank Viverito said. "The drama and caliber of the competition left us all in awe. And perhaps most importantly, thousands of young St. Louisans had the opportunity to experience this event and be inspired by some of the nation’s premier athletes."

Providing the inspiration were several of America’s most well known gymnasts, like 1996 Olympic gold medalists Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Amy Chow and Dominique Moceanu — as well as 1996 & 2000 U.S. Olympic Team members Blaine Wilson (2000 National Champion) and John Roethlisberger. Fans also saw a new generation of stars shine in St. Louis, including 2000 U.S. Olympic Team members Elise Ray (2000 National Champion), Kristen Maloney, Jamie Dantzscher and Tasha Schwikert.

For the Sports Commission, there was another group of stars that played a major role in the event. Members of St. Louis’ gymnastics community were instrumental in the local organizing efforts. And with St. Louis being the first city to host three disciplines at once — Artistic at Savvis Center, Trampoline & Tumbling at the St. Charles Family Arena, and Rhythmic at Washington University — the volunteer force was key to making the Championships an operational success. More than 400 volunteers dedicated their time and energy to assist the event.

At the gate, St. Louis set an all-time ticket sales record for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The competition was equally a hit over the airwaves. According to the Nielsen ratings, NBC’s broadcasts of the Championships were the top two rated national sports telecasts during the week of July 23-30. The network aired 3 hours of coverage from St. Louis.