USA Gymnastics has nabbed Street Laced’s own Greg Wolf to host/emcee the “FLIP ZONE” Fan Central on Thunder Alley at Amalie Arena next month when the 2022 U.S Gymnastics Championships invade Tampa’s Downtown! The Flip Zone will give fans a fun area to gather, interact, play games, cool off and be entertained before each days sessions.

“Amalie and the Tampa Convention Center will play host to the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships and 2022 National Congress and Trade Show, USA Gymnastics announced.

The annual national championships for artistic gymnastics will take place August 18-21 and will determine the men’s and women’s junior and senior all-around and individual event national champions. The U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams will also be named following the competition. Annually featuring roughly 2,000 attendees, the accompanying National Congress and Trade Show will run concurrently in the nearby convention center.

“The U.S. Championships and annual congress serve as the culmination of our domestic season, and we could not be more excited to bring these events to Florida later this year,” said Li Li Leung, USA Gymnastics President and CEO. “From the extraordinary number of clubs and athletes who call this area home to the local fans who are passionate about the sport, gymnastics is alive and well in the American Southeast. We know this will be a first-class experience for everyone involved.”

In 2021, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships were held in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by the annual congress in St. Louis, Mo. In Fort Worth, 32-time World and Olympic medalist Simone Biles claimed her seventh women’s title, while reigning NCAA men’s all-around champion Brody Malone took top honors on the men’s side. This year’s competition will provide fans the opportunity to cheer on some of their favorite athletes from the 2020 Olympic Games, while getting to know a new generation of gymnasts who hope to represent the U.S. in Paris in 2024.

Meanwhile, at the Tampa Convention Center, congress attendees will have access to educational presentations and live demonstrations focused on a variety of topics, including coaching, judging, general business, sports science, fitness and athlete safety. They will also be able to visit the trade show hall, where they can connect with vendors who provide goods and services to the gymnastics community.

This will be the first time in more than 15 years that both the U.S. Gymnastics Championships and National Congress and Trade Show will take place in USA Gymnastics’ Region 8. Region 8 previously hosted the events in 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.

“We are thrilled that USA Gymnastics has selected Tampa Bay to stage their 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships and National Congress and Trade Show,” said Jason Aughey, Senior Vice President of Sports Tourism for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. “This is a community that supports major events in a big way and the fact that this flagship event has not been hosted in the southeast United States, one of the largest gymnastics regions in the country, since 2004 will undoubtedly create strong interest and an incredible atmosphere at Amalie Arena and the Tampa Convention Center in August.”

The preliminary competition schedule for the 2022 national championships is listed below and is subject to change. All times are in eastern.”

  • Thursday, August 18: men’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7 p.m., seniors
  • Friday, August 19: women’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7 p.m., seniors
  • Saturday, August 20: men’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7 p.m., seniors
  • Sunday, August 21: women’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7 p.m., seniors

For tickets and more info: http://Ticket & Event Info | U.S. Gymnastics Championships (usgymchampionships.com)