There will be plenty of high-energy action and nail-biting drama as the 2020 American Cup gymnastics event takes over the Fiserv Forum on Saturday, March 7. But that's not the only reason to attend.
The iconic athletes that are on the list of former American Cup all-around champions include Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Paul Hamm, Nastia Liukin, Carly Patterson, Mary Lou Retton and Jordyn Wieber, among many others.
Two American men and two American women will compete against 11 of their top competitors from around the world in the women’s event at 11 a.m. and the men’s event at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets for this world-class competition are on sale now — single-day tickets went on sale today at FiservForum.com — and here are eight reasons you ought to nab your seats right now:
1. It’s a Milwaukee debut
Though the world’s top gymnasts have taken part in the American Cup since it was first held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in 1976, this is the first time it’s coming to Brew City.
2. Morgan Hurd will compete
Six-time World medalist Morgan Hurd, of Middletown, Delaware, won the American Cup crown in 2018 (and helped the Americans win the team title, too) on the heels of nabbing the 2017 World all-around title. She was also a member of a Pan American Games team victory.
3. Sam Mikulak will be here, too!
Mikulak of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has won six U.S. all-around titles, two World bronze medals, including one for the team in 2014 and also the horizontal bar in 2018. He won the American Cup crown in 2014.
4. It’s a big deal in the gymnastics world
The American Cup is the first of the four all-around events that comprise the International Gymnastics Federation’s World Cup Series. That means it’s a big deal in the world of gymnastics. Countries earn points based on the rankings of each of the four events and ...
5. It’s also an Olympic qualifier
The athletes competing in Milwaukee at the American Cup all have their eyes and dreams firmly fixed on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and how they do here will figure into whether or not they get there. The top three countries with the highest point totals from the Cup Series events earn an all-around berth at the Olympic Games. This is the first time the World Cup Series has been part of the Olympic qualification process.
6. The Nastia Liukin Cup
The day before the Cup event, the Fiserv Forum will also host some of the United States’ most talented Junior Olympic female gymnasts, in an event named in honor of the 2008 Olympic gold medalist and one of the country’s most beloved gymnasts.
7. Top athletes from around the world
Among the other gymnasts competing this year are USA's Kayla DiCello and Olympic gold medalist Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine.
The complete 2020 American Cup field by country is:
Men
- Brazil: Diogo Soares
- Canada: Rene Cournoyer
- China: Hu Xuwei
- Chinese Taipei: Chih-Kai Lee
- Germany: Andreas Toba
- Great Britain: James Hall
- Japan: Daiki Hashimoto
- Spain: Nestor Abad
- Switzerland: Pablo Braegger
- Ukraine: Oleg Verniaiev
- United States: Sam Mikulak
- United States: Shane Wiskus (Wild Card)
Women
- Australia: Georgia Godwin
- Canada: Elsabeth Black
- China: Jin Zhang
- France: Lorette Charpy
- Germany: Sarah Voss
- Great Britain: Jennifer Gadirova
- Italy: Giorgia Villa
- Japan: Hitomi Hatakeda
- Spain: Alba Petisco
- Ukraine: Diana Varinska
- United States: Morgan Hurd
- United States: Kayla DiCello (Wild Card)
8. Milwaukeeans are winners
While the event has come to Milwaukee before, Milwaukee-area talent has made a mark on the American Cup. Waukesha’s Paul Hamm won the all-around title and in 2004 and won the Olympic all-around gold later that year. The following year, Chellsie Memmel, who currently lives in Dousman, won the uneven bars title and was the 2005 World all-around champion. Three years later, she was part of the team that won the 2008 Olympic team silver medal.
All-session ticket packages for the American Cup and Nastia Liukin Cup range from $77 to $179 and are available at FiservForum.com, the Fiserv Forum ticket office and Ticketmaster.com. Discounted tickets are available via area gymnastics clubs that are participating in the club ticket sales program. For information on club sales or group tickets, call (414) 227-2875. Click here for group discount information.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
