| Member News
June 7, 2007
Tickets for 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Judo and Wrestling to Go On Sale June 9
 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Fans of two of the most exciting sports in the Olympic Games can purchase tickets for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Judo and Wrestling beginning at 9 a.m. (PDT) on June 9 at www.unlvtickets.com or by calling 866.388.FANS.
The Trials will be held June 13-15, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and will feature contests in each of the 14 Olympic judo weight divisions as well as the 18 Olympic wrestling weight classes in the three Olympic styles (men’s freestyle, men’s Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle) to be contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Judo will be contested on June 13-14 and wrestling will be contested all three days.
"We are very excited about what promises to be an outstanding U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This is the most important event we host in the United States every four years, where we select our Olympic Team, which competes in the most important sports event in the world, the Olympic Games,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We look forward to holding the competition in Las Vegas and having a great turnout by the wrestling community to support America's Team."
With eight athletes expected to compete in the Trials for each weight division, as many as 112 judo players will be eligible for berths on the U.S. Olympic Team. USA Wrestling expects almost 200 wrestlers to participate in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
"These will no doubt be one of the most exciting Olympic Trials in the history of USA Judo. Las Vegas is one of the world's most exciting places to host a sporting event; top that with the fact that we are combining our sport of Judo with a proven popular sport of wrestling that has in the past attracted over 11,000 spectators and some 200 media to previous events,” said Jose H. Rodriguez, USA Judo CEO. “Lastly add to this equation the partnership with Las Vegas Events and the United States Olympic Committee and you have the making of a great athlete-oriented and entertaining sport show in the best show town in the world.”
All-session tickets are priced $150 for VIP seating, $75 for lower level and $40 for upper level. Competition will be held on four mats simultaneously with wrestling taking place on three mats and judo on the fourth.
Each day will feature two sessions a day, with finals being held each evening. The first day of competition will include Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle wrestling as well as seven judo weight divisions. The second day will have another seven weight divisions of judo as well as the first day of men’s freestyle wrestling while the third day will be exclusively men’s freestyle wrestling. If there are judo weight divisions that the United States has not been qualified to compete in at the Olympic Games, the division will not be contested at Trials.
A tentative daily schedule is as follows:
Friday June 13
Four women’s freestyle weight divisions (48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg)
Two men’s Greco-Roman weight divisions (55kg and 60kg)
Four men’s judo weight divisions (66kg, 90kg, 100kg, +100kg)
Three women’s judo weight divisions (52kg, 63kg and 70kg)
Saturday June 14
Three men’s Greco-Roman weight divisions (66kg, 74kg and 84kg)
Three men’s freestyle weight divisions (55kg, 60kg and 66kg)
Three men’s judo weight divisions (60kg, 73kg, 81kg)
Four women’s judo weight divisions (48kg, 57kg, 78kg and +78kg)
Sunday June 15
Two men’s Greco-Roman weight divisions (96kg and 120kg)
Four men’s freestyle weight divisions (74kg, 84kg, 96kg and 120kg)
The Thomas & Mack Center has a seating capacity of 12,500 and USA Judo, USA Wrestling and Las Vegas Events expect a sell out for each of the three days. Tickets have been made available equally to both judo as well as wrestling fans on a first-come first-serve basis.
 "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for both judo as well as wrestling fans to enjoy the best of these sports in one of the most important Olympic-related competitions in the USA. We are very appreciative of the vision that both USA Wrestling and Las Vegas Events have shown in teaming up with USA Judo to make this competition happen," said Dr. Ron Tripp, USA Judo President, a former judo world team member and sombo wrestling world champion. "There will be limited seats available and wrestling has already shown that they are able to fill a venue of this size, which means that our fans will need to order their tickets now in order to guarantee their seats in these historic Olympic Trials."
More information on hotel headquarters will be available soon. |
