An unprecedented demand for tickets has resulted in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming being sold out for the first seven days of competition. Fewer than 600 tickets remain for the Trials’ last session on July 3, where the final members of the U.S. Olympic Team will qualify. Also, fans will be treated to special performances from ”O” by Cirque du Soleil, the aquatic masterpiece seen in Las Vegas.
Tickets are available at $40 and $50 for the Sunday, July 3, session, which starts at 6:45 p.m. Central. In addition to the women’s 50-meter freestyle and men’s 1500m freestyle finals, attendees will witness performances from “O” by Cirque du Soleil, and a special appearance from FINA World Champion synchronized swimmers Bill May and Christina Jones, who also are artists with the world-renowned entertainment powerhouse.
“Omaha continues to raise the bar for attendance at a U.S. swimming championship, and 2016 sales have again exceeded our expectations,” said Mike Unger, USA Swimming Assistant Executive Director. “To have 14 of the 15 sessions sold out this far in advance of the Trials is remarkable. This is a tribute to the Trials and the great athletes competing.”
“We are very excited to welcome “O” by Cirque du Soleil and its phenomenal artists to create a memorable final evening for the 2016 Olympic Trials in Omaha,” said Harold Cliff, Omaha Sports Commission President. “The evening will also include the two swimming finals, and there will be a parade of the U.S. Olympic Team going to Rio, so the stars of the Trials will all be in the arena on that final night.”
The strong sales guarantee Omaha will set a new American attendance record for a swimming event, with more than 200,000 tickets sold for 2016. In 2012 there were three sold-out sessions and none in 2008. More than 167,000 fans attended the 2012 Olympic Trials in Omaha, up from 160,000-plus spectators in 2008.
Tickets to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming can be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet nationwide or online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the CenturyLink Center box office or by calling 800-745-3000. VISA, a long-standing supporter of USA Swimming, is the exclusive method of purchase.
2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials, Omaha Venue (Tim Binning / the swim pictures)
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
About the Omaha Sports Commission
Created in 2003, the Omaha Sports Commission is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to making Omaha one of the premier sports communities in the United States. The Commission works closely with area businesses and community leaders to recruit and promote amateur sporting events. The OSC is a “total service event team,” meaning that it is involved in all aspects of event management from bid preparation and selection to event hosting and event enhancement to post-event evaluation.
Swimming News press release is courtesy of USA Swimming.
The scalpers now look like they have a strong market which is a sign of success for the event.
Cha-ching. I hope they start giving more financial support to the swimmers instead of lining the pockets of usa swimming executives. Now we can officially call the trials a circus.