A Celebration of Champions

It truly was a Celebration of Champions as seven previous Tyson American Cup winners attended this year’s competition. Vitaly Scherbo ’93 and ‘94, Trent Dimas ‘91, Stella Zakharova ‘79, Peter Vidmar ’83 and ‘84, Mary Lou Retton ’83, ’84 and ‘85, Nastia Liukin ’05, ’06 and ‘08, and Kerry Strug ’96, all talked about their experiences in the competition at the Celebration of Champions brunch before the event.

Mary Lou Retton and Peter Vidmar were hosting the brunch, and talked very eloquently about what the tournament meant to them personally and meant to the progression of their careers.

“For me, it was kind of my coming out party, way back in 1983,” Retton said. “It changed my whole life in terms of being a champion in gymnastics, everybody knew who I was. I was on the cover of Gymnastics Magazine. It was my first opportunity to have any kind of recognition.”

Retton went to the tournament in 1983 only as an alternate, but when her teammate was injured at the last minute she was thrust up onto that international stage, and proved it was where she belonged.

Winning the Tyson American Cup changes the lives of many gymnasts, propelling them towards the Olympics and gold.

“I was fortunate in 1996 to win the Tyson American Cup,” Strug said. “It catapulted my self confidence and started the year out right. It created that momentum I needed before [the Olympic Games in] Atlanta.”

Having the self confidence to step out onto the Olympic stage and perform to the best of your ability is something not every athlete possesses. Winning a large international competition, like the Tyson American Cup, often boasts an athlete’s confidence to the point where they are finally ready for the Olympic Games and a stage watched by millions around the world. They have already proved themselves.

“An event like the Tyson American Cup is one of those handful of events throughout the world that every gymnast dreams of competing in, because they know that it can lead to greatness in the future,” Vidmar agreed. “You establish yourself at an event like the Tyson American Cup and if you do handle it well you have that boast of confidence to walk onto the floor at something like the Olympic Games or the World Championships and say you know what, “‘I can do this, I can do this.’”

Watching young gymnasts enter the world of international elite gymnastics is an amazing experience. They have hit their stride and are competing with the world’s best. To win the Tyson American Cup is to say, I am here to compete and win. That is what these seven gymnasts did and now they are here to initiate two new members into their club.

Fore more photos from this event please visit our flickr page.