Minnesotans shoot for world cartwheel record on Aug. 3

ST. PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 7, 2006 – As part of the celebration of the 2006 Visa Championships, Minnesotans and those from the surrounding states are joining together to set the world record for the most cartwheels performed at one time. Gymnastics’ legendary coach Bela Karolyi will be on hand to lead the world record attempt, scheduled for Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul, Minn.

“The world record attempt for the most cartwheels will be a fun, family activity,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Cartwheels are a trick that people of all ages have performed and we invite everyone to come out and help us set the world mark for the most number of cartwheels at one time. This is a fantastic preview to the world class cartwheels that will be performed later in August at the Visa Championships.”

“Absolutely everyone is welcome,” said Jack Larson, Xcel Energy Center vice president and general manager. “It doesn’t matter what age or level of ability a person is. This is a fun opportunity for our citizens to become a part of history.”

For consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records, each individual must register. Participants can pre-register online at http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/ for just $5 until July 28 or register on-site on Aug. 3 for $10. The fee covers costs for registering the world record, and any proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.

In addition to setting the world record, registered participants will receive an adidas sack pack full of goodies, including a free ride pass at the Mall of America and a ticket voucher to the opening night of the 2006 Visa Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 16, the first day of the senior men’s competition. The festivities will also include an autograph signing, a fun fitness zone and mascot appearances.

As a prelude to the 2005 Visa Championships, Indianapolis’ Monument Circle was the backdrop for 1,072 people who set the world record for the greatest number of handstands performed at one time. Organizers expect the 2006 effort for the cartwheel record to be equally successful.

The Visa Championships is USA Gymnastics’ annual national championships and determines the U.S. national champions for men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. Artistic gymnastics will be held at the Xcel Energy Center. Rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics are set for the Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Acrobatic gymnastics is holding its national team trials in conjunction with the Visa Championships. The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held in the adjacent Saint Paul RiverCentre complex.

Tickets for men's and women's artistic and rhythmic/acrobatic gymnastics sessions for the premier national gymnastics championships are on sale at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone at (651) 989-5151 or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. For group ticket information, call (651) 312-3486. Visa is the only card accepted for the Visa Championships.

The Visa Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women. 2006 is only the second time since 1963 that the championships have been held in the Twin Cities area and in the state. Minneapolis was the site of the 1989 competition.

About Visa USA
Visa is the only card accepted for the Visa Championships and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. For USA Gymnastics’ other events, Visa is the preferred method of payment. Visa USA is the nation's leading payment brand and largest payment system, enabling banks to provide their consumers and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance, and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders in the payment system - Members, cardholders and merchants. Through its 13,420 Member financial institutions, more than 488 million Visa-branded cards have been issued to cardholders in the United States. Last year, U.S.-based financial institutions relied on Visa's processing system, VisaNet, to facilitate $1.3 trillion in transactions with unparalleled reliability. Worldwide, cardholders in over 150 countries carry more than 1 billion Visa-branded cards, accounting for more than $3 trillion in annual transaction volume. Visa offers a trusted, reliable and convenient way to access and mobilize financial resources - anytime, anywhere, anyway.

About Xcel Energy Center
The five-year-old Xcel Energy Center and the Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention and Visitor's Authority have been very successful in a short period of time at bringing high-profile events, such as the Visa Championships, to the Twin Cities community. Since opening in September 2000 with the first-ever Minnesota Wild NHL hockey game, the Xcel Energy Center has hosted the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four, 2001-06 WCHA Final Five Hockey Tournaments, 2003 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, 2003-04 TJ Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions, 2004-05 Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic and 2004 NHL All-Star Weekend.About

USA Gymnastics
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. For more information on the 2006 Visa Championships, log on to http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/.