The University of Akron Athletics
Olympian Shawn Johnson to Appear at Rhodes Arena
January 20 | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – Olympic gold medalist
Shawn Johnson will make a special appearance at
the University of Akron women's basketball game versus Toledo on
Saturday, Jan. 31.
Johnson, who became a global gymnastics icon at the 2008 Bejing
Olympic games, will participate in a question and answer session at
halftime and sign autographs following the Mid-American Conference
contest.
The Zips and Rockets will tip off at 2:30 p.m. after the men's game
versus Central Michigan. Tickets for the exciting event are on sale
now and can be purchased at the the Akron athletics ticket office
for $6 (adults) and $4 (youth). For more ticket information, call
1-888-99-AKRON.
Johnson, who is one of the most decorated U.S. gymnasts in Olympic
history, won a gold medal in the balance beam and silver medals in
the floor individual, all around and team competitions.
The 17-year-old star from Des Moines, Iowa, is known for performing
some some of the most difficult skills performed in gymnastics,
including a 2.5 twisting Yurchenko, a standing full (back flip with
a full twist) on beam, a tucked double-double (two flips with two
twist) on floor and a double-twisting double layout off of
bars.
Johnson is also unique among elite gymnasts as she only trains
20-25 hours a week and attends public high school whereas most
elites train 40 hours a week and have private tutors. She was born
on January 19, 1992 and is the daughter of Doug and Teri
Johnson.
