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Allstate to Celebrate U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with Rare Reunion of the ’Magnificent Seven’


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The 1996 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team partners with Allstate to lead gymnastics clinic, make special announcement at Union Station in Chicago.

To celebrate this year’s U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by Allstate, all seven members of the historic 1996 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team will reunite in the Great Hall at Chicago’s Union Station for a rare, entireteam gathering - one of few since the women won gold in Atlanta more than a decade ago. As presenting sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Allstate will host a special, Olympic-themed gymnastics exhibition featuring area athletes and future U.S Olympic hopefuls on June 19 from 8 - 10 a.m. CDT.

Free and open to the public, the event will feature Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps, Amy Chow and Amanda Borden leading a youth clinic with students of the Illinois Gymnastics Institute, signing autographs and posing for photos with morning commuters.

The “Magnificent Seven” will also join executives from Allstate, the USOC, other members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008, and dignitaries from the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District on stage for a special announcement. Two-time U.S. Olympic Hall of Famer and Chicago-area native, Bart Conner, will serve as the event’s honorary emcee.

“We all remember the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where the ’Magnificent Seven’ captivated the nation as they won the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the team allaround,” said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate. “This special event gives fans and Chicago-area athletes the chance to share in the celebration as this talented group of women takes its rightful place among our country’s greatest athletes in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.”

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate is one of the few honors in which consumers help determine those inducted into a sports Hall of Fame. This spring, more than 170,000 votes were cast online at USOlympicHallofFame.com.

The Hall of Fame was inactive for 12 years until Allstate partnered with the USOC in 2004 to reestablish the Induction Ceremony and introduce fan voting as a key component to the selection process. The “Magnificent Seven” earned more votes than any other team nominee including the heralded 1992 U.S. Men’s Basketball “Dream Team.” In addition to fan voting, the selection process includes a 10-person nominating committee consisting of athletes, distinguished members of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, historians and USOC representatives.

“We would like to thank Allstate for its support in recognizing the exceptional achievements of America’s Olympians and Paralympians at the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. “We pay tribute to the Class of 2008 not only for their achievements on the field of play, but also for the contributions that they continue to make in support of the Olympic Ideals.”

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008 will be honored at a special, black-tie induction ceremony presented by Allstate the evening of June 19 at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater in Chicago. Hosted by Emmy Award winner Jim Lampley, the awardsshow- style event will air on NBC as a nationally-televised special Aug. 3, 2008, from 1:30 - 3 p.m. EDT, allowing fans across the nation to again witness some of the memorable moments that helped solidify these honorees’ places in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

In addition to the seven members of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, Oscar De La Hoya, Karch Kiraly, David Robinson, Brian Boitano, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Amy Van Dyken, Bruce Baumgartner, Lones Wigger, Carol Heiss Jenkins, J. Michael Plumb, Paralympian John Morgan, coach Carlo Fassi, and producer Frank Marshall will be honored as the Class of 2008.



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