Officials of USA Gymnastics enjoyed their first visit to Everett so much they’ve decided to return.
The organization announced Tuesday that the 2016 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships will be held April 8-10 at Xfinity Arena.
Everett first hosted the championships in 2012.
“The 2012 Pac Rim Championships in Everett was one of the most successful ever held,” USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said in a statement. “The way the local community, civic leaders, facilities and the gymnastics family worked together to stage a great event put Everett at the top of our potential site list when we were awarded the event for 2016. We are looking forward to a repeat performance next year.”
The championships are expected to give the Everett area an economic boost. The 2012 event brought in an estimated $2.5 million, said Rick Comeau, general manager of Xfinity Arena.
Hosting such a high-profile event also benefits the arena by showcasing it to the world. “Anytime you can be part of an international event, it’s huge,” Comeau said.
The process of submitting a bid for the championships began about a year ago, Comeau said. The first conversation arena officials had was with the Everett Silvertips. The Silvertips are the arena’s primary tenant and could potentially be in the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs during the 2016 championships. With the Silvertips’ blessing, arena officials moved forward with their bid.
“Because of the success of the event in 2012, I think we had a bit of an advantage over the other people,” Comeau said.
The Pacific Rim Championships are held every two years. The event draws some of the top gymnasts from more than a dozen nations, including Canada, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, competing in men’s and women’s gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline.
Among those who won medals at the The 2012 Pacific Rim Championships in Everett were Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber, who were all part of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team that captured the team gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Tickets for the 2016 event will go on sale later this year.
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