Oklahoma City to host one of the nation’s most notable gymnastics championships

Oklahoma City will serve as host of the 2023 USA Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Development Program National Championships.  

The nationwide gymnastics competitions are scheduled for May 9-14, 2023, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. The announcement was made during the annual TEAMS Conference & Expo held in OKC in October, which brought together more than 1,000 members from national governing bodies for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports, event managers, sports commissions representatives and sports tourism officials.  

The championships – previously known as the Junior Olympic Nationals – bring together more than 1,700 of the nation’s top athletes each year.  

“Oklahoma City has a strong legacy within gymnastics at varying levels of the sport and we’re excited to host an event of this caliber,” Adam Wisniewski, vice president of sports development for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau said in a release. 

“Beyond the competition, we look forward to attendees experiencing our vibrant districts and attractions during their stay.” 

Men’s division athletes will range in age from 12-19, competing for all-around and apparatus national champion titles in Junior National Level 10 and Junior Elite Level eight, nine and 10.  

The women’s championships will include Junior and Senior Level 10 gymnasts, competing for all-around and individual titles throughout 12 age divisions, as well as the Wildcard division. The Wildcard division is determined after regional team rosters for the traditional Junior and Senior divisions are set and includes the next five all-around and individual athletes of each respective region.  

The championships will also include men’s club and region title competitions and the women’s regional Super Team title competition. 

“From elite-track athletes to the next generation of college stars, the annual Development Program National Championships feature some of the best up-and-coming gymnasts in the country,” Stefanie Korepin, USA Gymnastics chief programs officer said in a release.  

“We look forward to hosting this event in a community with such strong ties to our sport.” 

Gymnasts qualify for the annual national championships based on their performances at preceding state and regional championships.