Oklahoma City, Okla. is one of the seven cities which has submitted a bid to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting. The target date for the event is the weekend of April 20-21, 2012.

The Oklahoma City bid has been submitted by the Oklahoma City All Sports Association and the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. The proposed venue for the competition is Cox Convention Center.

"Without question, the marquee event for Oklahoma City is wrestling. The long and amazing history of collegiate and amateur wrestling is our state is second to none,” said Tim Brassfield, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City All Sports Association “Combine that with the former Olympians from our state in the sport of wrestling and it only makes sense that having the U.S. Olympic Trials here would be a huge success. It would also give the U.S. Olympic Committee another reason to consider Oklahoma City for future events. We are also thrilled to have the opportunity to host USA Weightlifting. With both events under the same roof, it will create an exciting atmosphere for fans and give USA Weightlifting a huge boost in attendance."

"We are excited to partner with All Sports to propose Oklahoma City as the host for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials," said Mike Carrier, President of the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This bid is a continuation of our push to foster the Olympic movement in Oklahoma City and further establishes us as a true sporting destination. Because of a strong statewide wrestling community, Oklahoma City is the perfect location for 2012. Our citizens embrace sporting events and will be enthusiastic supporters of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials."

The competition venue at the Cox Convention Center provides 12,655 seats for wrestling, The venue has more than enough room on the main arena floor for the required raised wrestling mats and weightlifting positions. In addition, there are adjacent Exhibit Halls available for competition needs. For more information, visit www.coxconventioncenter.com

The Oklahoma City All Sports Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, which is serves as the sports commission for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The organization is governed and directed by 41 non-compensated board members and managed by a seven-person staff. With more than 50 years of service, Oklahoma City All Sports Association is one of the oldest sports commissions in the country. The mission of the Oklahoma City All Sports Association is to secure, promote, create, execute and host quality, family-oriented amateur sporting events in the state of Oklahoma. For information, contact www.okcallsports.org

The Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) contributes to the economic development of Oklahoma City through the solicitation and servicing of conventions, meetings ,sporting events and group tours. In addition, the CVB promotes Oklahoma City as a first-class visitor and convention destination while collaborating with a variety of stakeholders and partners to enhance Oklahoma City's image. For more information, visit www.okccvb.org

Oklahoma City has served as the host for the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships five times. Most recently, the 2006 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships were held in Oklahoma City at the Oklahoma City Arena. The city also hosted the NCAA Championships in 1983, 1985, 1989 and 1992. Oklahoma City has also been awarded the 2104 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

When the NCAA Wrestling Championships were held on campuses, the state of Oklahoma hosted the event five other times, three times at Oklahoma State in Stillwater (1946, 1956, 1962) and twice at Oklahoma in Norman (1954, 1977).

The NAIA National Wrestling Championships were hosted at Oklahoma City University in 2009 and 2010. The tournament was also hosted at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 1981 and 1984

Oklahoma City has been selected to serve as the host of the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials in all three Olympic styles. The event will be held June 9-11 at the Cox Convention Center. 

The USA Wrestling Junior National Duals has been held in Oklahoma City six times, including the last five years. It will also be hosted at Oklahoma City University in 2011. The state of Oklahoma has hosted the competition 15 times, with the event also held in Lawton, Edmond and Enid. The USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals has been held at Oklahoma City University the last three years (2008-10), and will also be hosted there again in 2011.

Other major USA Wrestling events hosted in Oklahoma was the U.S. Freestyle Nationals in Stillwater three times (1970-72) and in Norman (1984). The U.S. World Team Trials in freestyle and Greco-Roman was held in Stillwater in 1989 as part of the U.S. Olympic Festival. The USA Wrestling Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals was held in Enid from 2002-03.

“When you are discussing Olympic, collegiate or amateur wrestling at any level regarding tradition, success, heritage and enthusiasm, Oklahoma City sits at the top of the list. We are very proud of our rich history of events and the long list of champions that have emerged from our state. Oklahoma City would be a tremendous venue for the 2012 Olympic Trials and will take ‘center stage’ in our community and state during the competition; before, during and after,” said Brassfield.

The Oklahoma City All-Sports Association has hosted 250 amateur sports events. Included in these events are 28 NCAA Championship events, the All-College Basketball Classic and the annual State Games of Oklahoma. Events hosted in the city have included the NCAA Div. I Women’s College World Series, first and second round NCAA Div. I Basketball Championships, the Big 12 Softball Championships and the Big 12 Baseball Championships.

The Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA competes in the adjacent Oklahoma City Arena. The city also features a Triple-A baseball franchise, the Oklahoma City RedHawks. The city’s arena football team, the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs, compete at the Cox Convention Center. The American Quarter Horse World Championships Show is among the equine events in the city. There are numerous rodeo events in the city, including a PRCA Rodeo during the Oklahoma State Fair.

The state boasts two of the nation’s traditional powerhouses in Div. I college wrestling, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and the University of Oklahoma in Norman. 

Oklahoma State has won 34 NCAA Div. I wrestling team titles, not only the most of any college wrestling team, but also the most of any team in the history of NCAA college athletics. The next closest team is USC Outdoor Track with 26 team titles. The OSU wrestling team has also been NCAA runners-up 11 times. Coming into the season, since the program was created in 1916, the Cowboys have had a 976-109-21 dual meet record. Oklahoma State won 24 Big Eight team titles, and eight Big 12 team titles. Oklahoma State has crowned the most individual NCAA wrestling champions in history, with 133 national titles. A total of 40 Oklahoma State wrestlers have qualified for U.S. Olympic teams. In addition, 24 athletes and coaches from Oklahoma State have been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Oklahoma State is currently coached by John Smith, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion in freestyle wrestling.

The University of Oklahoma has won seven NCAA Div. I national titles, which is fifth most in the history of the sport. OU has produced 65 individual NCAA national champions, 256 All-Americans, 173 individual conference champions and has won 23 conference team titles. A total of 14 athletes and coaches from Oklahoma have made U.S. Olympic wrestling teams. There are nine Sooners who are Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Oklahoma is currently coached by Jack Spates. 

Other college varsity wrestling programs in the state include the University of Central Oklahoma in Div. II, plus Oklahoma City University and Bacone University in the NAIA. Central Oklahoma has won 15 college wrestling national team titles, seven in Div. II and eight in the NAIA, with different 40 athletes who have won individual national titles. Oklahoma City’s varsity women’s wrestling team has won the national team title in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association for the past two years.

Oklahoma USA Wrestling is the state wrestling association, with 1,514 athletes, 108 coaches and 47 clubs in the 2009-10 membership year. The organization is led by state chair Archie Randall of Mustang. For more information, visit www.usaokwrestling.com

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Oklahoma had 2,960 boys high school wrestlers from 140 high school teams in 2009-10. The NFHS statistics also included eight girl high school wrestlers from eight programs.

Oklahoma has been a leading community in producing quality weightlifters. Shane Hamman of Mustang competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and Chad Vaughan of Konawa competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Hamman coaches weightlifting in Tulsa at Dynamic Sports Development. Norman native Jessica Beed also recently represented Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games in August. Among the USA Weightlifting clubs in Oklahoma are programs in Norman, Moore and Edmond.  

The Oklahoma City metropolitan area includes a population of 1.2 million people. Oklahoma City serves as the state capital for Oklahoma. It is the third largest U.S. city in terms of land area at 622.5 square miles. There are 150 hotels in Oklahoma City, with a combined total of 15,300 rooms. The city is served by Will Rogers World Airport, which is seven miles from downtown Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City features the Historic Bricktown Entertainment District which is home to dozens of unique attractions and respected restaurants. Included in the district is the American Banjo Museum, At&T Bricktown Ballpark, Bricktown Canal and the Oklahoma Land Run Monument. Other popular areas in the downtown area included the Arts District, Historic Automobile Alley, the Business District and Midtown District. 

Other attractions in the city include the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Stockyards City, Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens and the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame.

The group of seven bid cities will be reduced to between three and four finalist bids, with an announcement from USA Wrestling and USA Weightlifting expected on Dec. 20.

The organizing committees selected as finalists will be invited to make an in-person presentation on behalf of their bid during the week of Jan. 10-14, 2011. A committee will review the finalist bid presentations. An announcement on the bid selected to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting is targeted for Jan. 17, 2011.

Each bid proposal includes hosting both the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting. The wrestling event will feature competition in the three Olympic styles of the sport – men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.  The weightlifting event will include both men’s and women’s weight divisions.

The competition will determine the U.S. athletes in both sports who will qualify to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.