If you are not familiar with former UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi, who became a major Internet sensation last year as a result of her joyful performance and unparalleled sassy dance moves on the floor, click here and see for yourself what all the fuss was about.
Now you’ll have the opportunity see Ohashi do her thing in person, as it was announced this morning that she and her coach, Valorie Kondos Field, will be part of the Aurora Games on Aug. 20-25 at Times Union Center.
Ohashi, a 22-year-old Seattle, WA native, is fresh off a winning collegiate senior season, during which she amassed six perfect scores for her signature event: Floor.
She’s now making her professional debut at the Aurora Games, the inaugural all-women’s sports and entertainment festival conceived of and created by sports marketing executive Jerry Solomon.
“I’m excited to be participating in the Aurora Games!” Ohashi said in a statement. “To be a part of an event that was named after a Roman Goddess and celebrates women in sports is definitely something I wholeheartedly support. Team Americas is going to crush it!”
Solomon noted that Ohashi’s “joyful athleticism has captured the hearts of millions of people around the world.”
She first captured the world’s attention at the Collegiate Challenge in Anaheim, CA on Jan. 12, where she received a perfect 10.0 score for her floor routine while competing for UCLA. Video of that routine, which is linked above, soon went viral, amassing nearly 120 million views.
Field, meanwhile, is a former professional ballet dancer turned gymnastics coach. She retired as UCLA’s women’s gymnastics coach following the 2019 NCAA championships. During her 29-year-tenure at the school, the Bruins won 528 meets and claimed seven national championships.
A 1987 graduate of UCLA, Kondos Field is a member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
“For all who know me, I am all about opportunity, inspiration and entertainment,” Kondos Field said. “The Aurora Games provide a platform to bring all of these together on one stage. I am excited to be part of the team putting this together. We are going to put on a ‘must see’ show in Albany!”
The Aurora Games will feature world class competition in women’s tennis, gymnastics, basketball, figure skating, ice hockey and beach volleyball.
All-star teams made up of athletes who have accounted for over 100 Olympic, World and National championships from The Americas vs The World, will be led by honorary captains Jackie Joyner Kersee and Nadia Comaneci as they compete for the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Trophy.
Zaharias was named the “Greatest Female Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century” by the Associated Press for her achievements in multiple sports, including golf, basketball, baseball and track and field.
Gymnastics will take place at the Times Union Center in Albany on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. and is presented by Dunkin’. The format for gymnastics will be announced in the near future.
Individual session tickets for the Aurora Games are on-sale now at Ticketmaster. Tickets range in price from $15 to $129 and include access to the Aurora Games FanZone featuring music, athlete meet and greets, food and entertainment. Children may qualify for half-price tickets based on seating selection.
