Lochte, Vollmer, Franklin and Clary Headline the Arena Grand Prix at Orlando
Lochte, Vollmer, Franklin and Clary Headline the Arena Grand Prix at Orlando
Event will make first-ever stop in Orlando, Fla., February 14-16
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Olympic gold medalists Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas), Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colo.) and Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) will compete February 14-16 at the Arena Grand Prix at Orlando. The event, whichis the third stop of the six-meet 2012-13 Arena Grand Prix Series, will be held for the first time in Orlando at the YMCA Aquatic Center.
Other Olympians expected to swim in Orlando include Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.), Anthony Ervin (Berkeley, Calif.), Amanda Weir (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Charlie Houchin (Raleigh, N.C.),Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) and Christine Magnuson (Tinley Park, Ill.). The meet will also feature a strong field of international swimmers, including two-time Olympic medalist Ryan Cochrane from Canada, China’s Wu Peng, Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson and Brazil’s Felipe Lima.
Preliminary heats in Orlando will start at 9 a.m. ET Thursday through Saturday and finals will begin at 6 p.m. ET. Meet tickets are available at the YMCA Aquatics Center Admissions Desk. Children 8 years of age and under are $5 while adult tickets are $15. For more information, click here.
Viewers at home can catch the action of the meet via USA Swimming Network’s live webcast or on the Universal Sports Network, which will broadcast the event on February 15 and 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. ET. Check local listings for channels and times in your area.
The Arena Grand Prix at Orlando will also see the launch of the Arena “Autograph Arena”, which is open to the public daily and does not require an event ticket. Hours of operation are between 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Following finals each evening, the area will be open from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. for ticket holders only.
The Arena Grand Prix Series will conclude June 2, 2013 in Santa Clara, Calif. As part of USA Swimming’s eight-year partnership with Arena, the Arena Grand Prix Series will offer swimmers the opportunity to take home prize money for top finishes in all individual Olympic-distance events for each meet in the Series. In each event, first-place finishers will receive $500, second-place finishers will earn $300 and swimmers in third place will take home $100*. Prize money will be distributed for each meet in the Series.
The Arena Grand Prix Series serves as an opportunity for swimmers to race against some of the best competition in the country as they continue their preparation for the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., World University Games in Kazan, Russia and the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Media interested in covering the event must apply for a credential online.
* Swimmers with remaining NCAA eligibility will not be able to accept event prize money.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-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.
