CHARLOTTE, NC – January 25, 2012 – London may be calling, but before these athletes compete across the pond,they need to make a critical stop in the Queen City. An unprecedented amount of athletic ability with ties to 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London will take place in Charlotte this spring, bringing together three Olympic sports in one exceptional city.

The Modern Pentathlon World Cup and Olympic Qualifier kicks off the excitement beginning March 8–11 at facilities including Grady Cole Center, Memorial Stadium and the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. Then April 12–14, the Olympic Trials for Canoe Slalom take to the rapids at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Finally, the 2012 Charlotte UltraSwim hits the pool at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center May 10–13.

“As one of the last stops before the 2012 London Games, Charlotte demonstrates a keen ability to host events of an intense caliber. In fact, no other U.S. destination will host this amount of Olympic activity leading up to the Games,” says Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) CEO Tom Murray. “We’re honored to welcome the Olympic spirit and will strive to make each event an unforgettable experience for the athletes, coaches, relatives and spectators drawn to the region.”

Modern Pentathlon World Cup #1
Five sports including swimming, fencing, horseback riding, running and shooting comprise the rigorous gauntlet of Modern Pentathlon. Over 80 men and 60 women from more than 30 countries will compete in an event first introduced in the 1912 Olympic Games. While the sport celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year beginning in Charlotte, its origins are steeped in the original Greek Pentathlon dating back to 708 BC. A first place finish at the Modern Pentathlon World Cup #1 will automatically qualify a male and female athlete for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

2012 Olympic Trials for Canoe Slalom
Speed is the key for Canoe Slalom athletes, who navigate their canoe or kayak through suspended gates as they work their way through 300 meters of whitewater rapids in the fastest time possible. Originally debuting at the 1972 Olympic Games, the sport did not reappear until the 1992 Games. Now a regular Olympic fixture, the Olympic Trials in Charlotte will feature disciplines including men’s and women’s Kayak and men’s single and two-person Canoe. Drawing more than 100 athletes from the U.S. and Canada, a maximum of five athletes from each country will compete for the chance to represent their nation in London.

2012 Charlotte UltraSwim
Over the last 27 years, Charlotte UltraSwim has been privileged to host more than 10,000 athletes, approximately 130 Olympians and over 50 Olympic Gold Medalists. 2012 promises to be no exception to the gloried meet, which will be one of the last major stops for an outstanding field of competitors before the Olympic Team Trials in Omaha. Look for allstar athleticism from contenders like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin and more as they dive in for blazing fast heats and a $20,000 purse.

About the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) seeks to ensure that the visitors and events that come to the area have a positive experience. Our responsibilities include destination marketing through Visit Charlotte and management/operations responsibilities for the Charlotte Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, Ovens Auditorium, Bojangles’ Coliseum, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Guided by three main mission objectives, the CRVA markets by bringing visitors and events to the Charlotte region, manages by making the visitors’ experiences positive and the events successful, and maximizes by marketing and managing in a way that continues to bring visitors and events back to the region.

About the U.S. National Whitewater Center

The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit outdoor recreation and adventure sports facility. Alongside mountain biking and running trails, a climbing center, zip-lines, flatwater kayaking, high ropes courses and a canopy tour, the facility’s most unique feature is a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and paddling enthusiasts of all abilities. The USNWC is just minutes away from Downtown Charlotte and is situated on over 400 acres of woodlands along the scenic Catawba River. The USNWC is proud to be a U.S. Olympic Training Site that provides outdoor recreation to families, outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, casual observers and Olympic-caliber athletes.

Dedicating its expertise, resources, and manpower to making the Swimming Discipline successful, SwimMAC Carolina is a USA Swimming competitive swim club located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Originally founded in 1977 as the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC), SwimMAC Carolina’s competitive team boasts a highly trained and professional coaching staff led by Coaching Director and CEO, David Marsh. In addition, SwimMAC is a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club, one of a handful of swim clubs in the United States that have earned this distinction for displaying excellence in their competitive program. SwimMAC Carolina is USA Swimming’s first “Center of Excellence” in the United States.

2011 Rainbow Sandals Pole Setters (PDF)

Just six weeks before the USA Olympic Team Trials, the Charlotte UltraSwim will give athletes the opportunity for additional Trial cuts and test there training in preparation for the Trials.

1. Tradition: The meet has been around since 1985 and had UltraSwim as the lead sponsor since 1989 (Thanks UltraSwim!). This meet has hosted over 10,000 swimmers over the years and over 130 Olympic athletes.
2. Autographs: It’s not everyday when us normal, non-elite athletes get to rub elbows with some of the best athletes in the world. At the Charlotte UltraSwim we can! The world class, and classy people if you ask us, will sign autographs until their hands fall off, or until they have to be back in the pool to swim.
3. Free Stuff! So the athletes do get some free stuff, a pair of Rainbow Sandals if you win your event, hospitality baskets to the Olympic athletes, prize money too, but what about the free Wendy’s for a year for a fan?? Can’t beat that.
4. AMAZING competition: Most recently, we had the Cullen Jones and Josh Schneider swim-off, but who can forget the 1990 incredible win by Jenny Thompson, then 12 years old, in the 50 free over a star-studded international field on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
5. Money: Ok, so maybe this also goes with free stuff, but there is a lot of money up for grabs at the Charlotte UltraSwim. Not only does Wendy’s put up some cash for the winners, but each race has a meet record- Presbyterian Sports Medicine Meet Record- and anyone who beats that meet record gets the cash. Each year the records stands, the pot grows. Currently, Tom Malchow’s record in the 200 fly from the 2000 meet still stands and will pay out $1,000.00 to the man who breaks it.

We can’t wait for the 2012 event on May 10-13! You never know what can happen in an Olympic year and with the Charlotte UltraSwim is a little over a month before the Olympic Trials, we can only imagine what might shake out.

When traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina for business or pleasure you will want to stay in our Award-Winning AAA Four Diamond Hilton Charlotte Center City hotel – this downtown Charlotte hotel is located directly across from the Charlotte Convention Center and just 15 minutes from the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport offering abundant flights to Charlotte and 120 daily non-stop flights with International service.