$20,000 Purse in Eight-Meet 2007-2008 Toyota Grand Prix Swim Meet Series
USA Swimming and Grand Prix Series title sponsor, Toyota, have teamed up to offer a $20,000 purse to the winner of the eight-stop 2007-08 Toyota Grand Prix Swim Meet Series. The next stop in the series is the Toyota Southern California Grand Prix, Jan. 18-21, 2008 in Long Beach, Calif. Swimmers will earn points for each medal won at a Grand Prix meet with the prize set to be awarded at the series finale in Omaha, Neb., June 8, 2008.
This is the first time USA Swimming will crown a Grand Prix Series champion.
The scoring system awards swimmers based on gold, silver and bronze medal performances. Gold medals will command five points, silver yields three points and a bronze is one point. The standings will integrate male and female participants while recognizing the swimmer with the highest cumulative point total. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the swimmer who earned the highest single-race FINA power point ranking. Leaders will be tracked in Splash Magazine, the official magazine of USA Swimming, and at www.usaswimming.org.
"The scoring element really emphasizes what Toyota and USA Swimming are doing with the series, which is bringing the stars of American swimming to communities across America," said Megan Gillam, Engagement Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Fans across the nation have the exciting opportunity to see the 2008 Olympic hopefuls, which may be the most talented group of swimmers ever assembled..
We hope all fans will get caught up in the scoring race and track the progress of their favorite swimmers through the series and on to Beijing."
"As we draw nearer to the Olympic Games, there is already excitement brewing around our athletes. Not only does this prize system stand to further motivate our swimmers, it also provides fans with the exciting element of a scoring race," said Mark Schubert, USA Swimming's national team head coach and general manager. "Our nation is home to some of the best swimmers in the world, and I'm pleased that USA Swimming and Toyota continue to promote these athletes as they move toward their ultimate goals in Beijing."
This is the first time USA Swimming will crown a Grand Prix Series champion.
The scoring system awards swimmers based on gold, silver and bronze medal performances. Gold medals will command five points, silver yields three points and a bronze is one point. The standings will integrate male and female participants while recognizing the swimmer with the highest cumulative point total. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the swimmer who earned the highest single-race FINA power point ranking. Leaders will be tracked in Splash Magazine, the official magazine of USA Swimming, and at www.usaswimming.org.
"The scoring element really emphasizes what Toyota and USA Swimming are doing with the series, which is bringing the stars of American swimming to communities across America," said Megan Gillam, Engagement Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Fans across the nation have the exciting opportunity to see the 2008 Olympic hopefuls, which may be the most talented group of swimmers ever assembled..
We hope all fans will get caught up in the scoring race and track the progress of their favorite swimmers through the series and on to Beijing."
"As we draw nearer to the Olympic Games, there is already excitement brewing around our athletes. Not only does this prize system stand to further motivate our swimmers, it also provides fans with the exciting element of a scoring race," said Mark Schubert, USA Swimming's national team head coach and general manager. "Our nation is home to some of the best swimmers in the world, and I'm pleased that USA Swimming and Toyota continue to promote these athletes as they move toward their ultimate goals in Beijing."
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