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Axios Twin Cities
What to know about the U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis
By Torey Van Oot,
2024-06-26
The nation's top gymnasts — including two Minnesotans — land at Target Center Thursday to flip, twist, and spring for a spot on Team USA.
Why it matters: The Olympic trials are vaulting these elite athletes and the city of Minneapolis into the national spotlight.
The big picture: Officials expect the four-day event to attract big crowds — and local spending — to downtown as families and fans gather to cheer on the gymnasts.
Between the lines: While the athletes take center stage at the trials, city leaders say the broader economic impact comes from the families, coaching staff, and fans who take part.
Hotel occupancy data won't be available until next week, but Meet Minneapolis expects 100,000 people to participate in some way.
What they're saying: Mayor Jacob Frey touted the trials as the latest in a series of "Taylor Swift and Beyoncé-like events" boosting the standing of a city still recovering from the pandemic and the 2020 riots.
"These large-scale events that have been coming to our city have largely gone off without a hitch," he said. "The city has been coming back in fine form."
Who we're watching: St. Paul's Suni Lee, who won a gold medal at the 2020 Games, is looking to return to the team — and the podium — after health issues threatened to end her career.
Fellow Olympian Shane Wiskus, a former Gopher and three-time NCAA men's champ who grew up in Spring Park, is competing on the men's side.
What to expect: Both are favored to return to the Games, but they will still have to edge out more than a dozen competitors to clinch one of five spots on their respective teams.
Men compete on Thursday and Saturday, and women on Friday and Sunday.
The catch: Locals who want to cheer on the homegrown stars in person should be ready to shell out for tickets.
Passes for all four days at the Target Center start at about $450 and are currently available on the secondary market for between $300 to $2,000.
Yes, but: Single-day tickets were available on secondary seller sites for less than $100 as of Tuesday.
Plus: Those who can't watch in person can still take part in the fun for free.
Nicollet Mall will be transformed into " Promenade du Nord ," a Parisian street fair with local vendors, food, and live performances to honor the Paris Games. More than 1,000 gymnasts will take part in an 11:30am Thursday kick-off event.
The "Flip Zone" outside Target Center will have demos, a parkour course, and a 20-foot "free fall" into a giant airbag.
The full schedule of outdoor events also includes athlete performances, live music, and autograph signings by gymnastics stars outside Target Center and nearby Target Field.
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