“To stick the landing” is a term used in competitive gymnastics denoting the precise and confident completion of a routine. While we may associate this term with the work of Suni Lee or Simone Biles (I actually have a photo with Simone), Minneapolis and Minnesota communities have come together in a similar confident and precise manner to welcome the USA Gymnastics Championships and U.S. Olympic Trials to Gymnastics City USA, as proclaimed by Governor Walz at the introductory news conference.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Sports and Events (MNSE) President & CEO Wendy Blackshaw, and USA Gymnastics (USAG) President & CEO Li Li Leung all participated in the news conference.

The 10-day set of events will culminate with the announcement of the women’s and men’s Olympic team who will represent the United States in Paris in a few weeks. According to Leung, our event will be USAG’s largest ever!

There is a lot of noise – much of which emanates from local residents – about Minneapolis’ readiness as a safe and vibrant city. This is another opportunity for us to do some serious myth-busting as we welcome more than 100,000 fans, athletes, families, and technical personnel to our community.

While we had to do a great deal of proactive reputation management following the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, our community has been on roll through hosting such marquee events as the NCAA Women’s Final Four and the related 50th anniversary of Title IX activities. We also came together to host the Big Ten Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tournaments in addition to myriad other large gatherings. So, if there is any question about our readiness, just buckle your seat belts because the rest of this year is jam-packed with even more special events to complement the busy meetings and events, live music, theater and sports schedules that are in full swing.

NBC is the broadcast partner of the Olympics, as we have seen in recent days as other Olympic sports round out their teams. Most of what you will see on broadcasts will emanate from Target Center, the home of our beloved Lynx and Timberwolves. However, numerous events are also being held at our Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC). The MCC has also been a versatile hub for other sporting events like volleyball and dance competitions. Among the events at the MCC are the USAG National Congress and Trade Show, the USA Gymnastics Championships and the USA Gymnastics for All National Championships & Gymfest, with competitive and non-competitive opportunities and a division for gymnasts with disabilities.

As we saw last summer with the Taylor Swift concerts, Pride activities and the Kiwanis International Convention, Minneapolis is equipped to handle multiple large activities simultaneously. That was a hotel record-breaking weekend last year. This year, gymnastics will also intersect with the Twin Cities Pride Festival. So, stay tuned for updates and be sure to make our 100,000 guests feel right at home.

If we all do our jobs right, maybe some of them will become Minneapolis evangelists!