– NBC Sports presents live coverage of the 2020 American Cup gymnastics competition this weekend from Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee, Wis. Gymnasts from 14 countries are expected to compete in the USA’s most prestigious international event, which is part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s all-around World Cup series. This season, the four-event series plays a role in Olympic qualifying, with countries earning points at each stop. The top three nations in the men’s and women’s standings at the conclusion of the series will each earn one additional quota spot at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Live coverage of the event kicks off with the women’s competition this Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and continues with the men’s competition at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage of Olympic Sports on NBC Sports Group platforms is a presentation of Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA.
Six-time U.S. all-around champion and two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak and 2017 world all-around champion Morgan Hurd, who was also part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 World Championships, are expected to headline the field. Both have won American Cup titles – Mikulak in 2014 and Hurd in 2018. Representing the U.S. in their American Cup debuts are 2019 U.S. junior champion Kayla DiCello, who is also making her senior international debut, and 2019 U.S. vault champion Shane Wiskus,who is the reigning NCAA parallel bars champion for Minnesota and was a member of the 2019 World Championships team.
The international field will feature 2016 Olympic parallel bars gold medalist Oleg Vernyayev of Ukraine, two-time Olympian and 2017 world all-around silver medalist Ellie Black of Canada, 2019 women’s world team bronze medalist Giorgia Villa of Italy; rising star and 2019 men’s world team bronze medalist Daiki Hashimoto of Japan, and 2012 and 2016 Olympian team member Andreas Toba of Germany, whose father Marius was the 1988 American Cup champion.
Play-by-play commentator Terry Gannon calls the action, joined by analysts Tim Daggett (two-time Olympic medalist) and Nastia Liukin (five-time Olympic medalist and 2008 Olympic all-around champion), and reporter Andrea Joyce.
In addition, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and OlympicChannel.com will present live coverage of the Nastia Liukin Cup this Friday at 8 p.m. ET. NBCSN will present encore coverage of the event this Sunday, Mar. 8, at 5 p.m. ET. Held annually the night before American Cup, the Nastia Liukin Cup features 36 pre-elite and level 10 (the highest level of the Junior Olympic program) gymnasts who qualify through the Nastia Liukin Cup Series, which includes many of the country’s top invitational events held throughout January and February.
Gymnasts who have competed in the Nastia Liukin Cup include Hurd, three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, three-time world champion and 2016 Olympic alternate MyKayla Skinner, and Oklahoma Sooners star Maggie Nichols, a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2015 World Championships. Former national team members Olivia Dunne (LSU signee) and Gabby Perea (Cal signee) highlight Friday’s event.
Three-time Olympian John Roethlisberger will host coverage of the Nastia Liukin Cup, joined by Liukin and Daggett.
Following is the schedule for NBC Sports’ gymnastics coverage this weekend (all times E.T. and subject to change):DateEventTime (ET)NetworkFri., Mar. 6Nastia Liukin Cup (LIVE)8 p.m.Olympic ChannelSat., Mar. 7American Cup Gymnastics – Women’s (LIVE)12:30 p.m.NBCSat., Mar. 7American Cup Gymnastics – Men’s (LIVE)5 p.m.NBCSNSun., Mar. 8Nastia Liukin Cup (Encore)5 p.m.NBCSN
All coverage on NBC and NBCSN will stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. All coverage on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will stream on OlympicChannel.com and the Olympic Channel app, in addition to NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
