Tickets for 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Wrestling and Judo to go on sale June 9
Fans of two of the most exciting sports in the Olympic Games can purchase tickets for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Wrestling and Judo 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 18 Olympic wrestling weight classes in the three Olympic styles (men’s freestyle, men’s Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle) as well as the 14 Olympic judo weight divisions to be contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Wrestling will be contested all three days (June 13-15) and judo will be contested on June 13-14
“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.”
USA Wrestling expects almost 200 wrestlers to participate in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. 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.
“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.
The Thomas & Mack Center has a seating capacity of 12,500 and USA Wrestling, USA Judo, and Las Vegas Events expect a sell out for each of the three days. Tickets have been made available equally to both Wrestling as well as Judo fans on a first come first serve basis.
More information on hotel headquarters will be available soon.
For a seating chart for the U.S. Olympic Trials, visit:
http://www.themat.com/eventfliers/2008/2008TrialsTickets.pdf