Looking for the USA Swimming 2008 Olympic Trials Results, Schedule, and Olympic Trials TV Schedule? Go here.
Officials of the Omaha Sports Commission, USA Swimming, City of Omaha and Qwest Center Omaha announced today that approximately 9,000 all-session tickets to the 2008 Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, set for June 29 to July 6, will go on sale Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 10 a.m.Tickets will be available at Qwest Center Omaha and the Center’s ticket outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 402-422-1212 in Omaha and 402-475-1212 in Lincoln.
Only all-session tickets will be available for purchase. Three price levels have been established -- $475, $375 and $275. An all-session ticket will include seven daytime preliminary sessions and eight evening finals sessions. Officials are working with Visa, a long standing sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, and said that tickets for the Olympic Team Trials for Swimming must be purchased using cash or a Visa card. No other credit cards will be accepted for the Trials.
Omaha Sports Commission president Dan Morrissey also unveiled the logo H2Omaha, which will serve as the umbrella theme for a number of events and celebrations in Omaha leading up to next year’s Olympic Team Trials for Swimming.
“For eight days some of the biggest names in sports – Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Aaron Peirsol, Kate Ziegler and others – will be in Omaha with one purpose in mind—to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,” Morrissey said. “We have created H2Omaha to serve as a reminder that while the trials will last for eight days, we hope to create a number of events to make this truly a yearlong celebration.”
Roger Dixon, CEO and president of Qwest Center Omaha, said because of the expected heavy ticket demand, only all-session tickets for the eight days of preliminary and finals competition will be sold. He encouraged people to consider Olympic Trials tickets as they do tickets for the College World Series, and share them with family, friends and neighbors to ensure every seat is filled for every session.
“We have worked many hours to ensure there are tickets at every price level available for the public to attend this great event,” Dixon said. “However, there are hundreds of swimming clubs throughout the Midwest that want their young athletes to see this competition, and we expect swimming fans from across the country to come to Omaha. I encourage people to make plans to get their tickets tomorrow and prepare to enjoy what will be some of the most exciting sports competition ever held in Nebraska.”
Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey said the Olympic Team Trials will be a tremendous economic and image boost to Omaha. “Few cities in the country have the opportunity to offer citizens a chance to see an Olympic qualifying event, and our goal is to have Qwest Center Omaha filled every session of the Olympic Trials,” Fahey said. “There is no question Omaha and Nebraska will benefit economically as hundreds of athletes, coaches, families, fans and media come to our city for the Olympic Team Trials for Swimming.”
Mike Unger, assistant executive director for USA Swimming, said his organization is proud to partner with the Omaha Sports Commission to bring the Trials to Omaha. He said USA Swimming’s goal is to make the 2008 trials the highest attended and most successful Olympic Trials event in the nation. “We anticipate the 2008 Olympic Team Trials for Swimming to feature one of the fastest fields in history, and expect the competition in Omaha to be very intense,” Unger said. “We are excited to bring this great Olympic qualifying event to the Midwest, and we encourage people in Omaha and throughout the region to take full advantage of this outstanding opportunity to see these incredible athletes in action.” U.S. Olympic swimming gold medalist Rowdy Gaines was in Omaha for the news conference. Gaines, who will serve as an NBC announcer for the Olympic Team Trials, said the event will provide remarkable exposure for the city of Omaha. “Every swimmer dreams of making the U.S. Olympic Team, and for American swimmers, the lane to the Olympic Games in Beijing goes through Omaha,” Gaines said. “This historic event will attract hundreds of journalists from across the country and around the world, and I’m excited to join Bob Costas as part of the NBC broadcast team that will be in Omaha next summer to share this event live with viewers across the nation. For one week in the summer of 2008, all eyes will be on Omaha.”
About the Omaha Sports Commission: The Omaha Sports Commission’s mission is to establish the City of Omaha as the nation’s leading host of collegiate and amateur sports championships. In addition to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, Omaha during 2008 also will host NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Round Tournament in March, NCAA College World series in June and NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships in December. Read more about the Omaha Sports Commission and H2Omaha at www.omahasports.org.
About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. USA Swimming has more than 300,000 members nationwide and sanctions more than 7,000 events each year. For more information, visit USA Swimming on-line.
