24 Hour Fitness will announce Wednesday that it has renewed its deal through 2012 as the official fitness center sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team. 24 Hour Fitness is also expected to expand its jobs program for Olympians. 24 Hour started its backing of the U.S. Olympic Committee and a host of national governing bodies in 2004. Terms of the deal were not available.

U.S. Gymnastics Looks to Grow

With the Olympic spotlight about to shine on its biggest stage, USA Gymnastics is going to tend to its garden.

In an effort to grow its grassroots programs, USAG, in collaboration with the National Gymnastics Foundation, has created a national marketing campaign to add young gymnasts. Its target: moms and dads.

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On Aug. 15, the day of the women’s all-around final in Beijing, the NGB has bought an insert in USA Today designed to help parents find one of the 1,900 USAG clubs in their area.

“The timing is not by accident,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Gymnastics is the most-watched event during the Olympic Games, and we want to capitalize on the momentum that comes every four years when our top athletes compete on the world’s biggest sports stage.”

According to the 2007 Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Sports and Fitness Participation Report, about 4.6 million Americans participated in gymnastics last year; but that’s down 25 percent since the year 2000. About 9,000 gymnasts are high-level athletes.

USA Gymnastics also is launching a targeted Web site, www.beginheregoanywhere.com, for parents. The insert is backed by USAG sponsors, AT&T, CoverGirl and Tyson.

Women’s Pro Soccer networks with Olympics

Opening ceremonies are Friday, but the women’s Olympic soccer tournament begins Wednesday night in Qinhuangdao, about 300 miles from Beijing. Timed to that, the fledgling Women’s Professional Soccer announced today that it’s launching a social-networking site at http://fans.womensprosoccer.com.

Leveraging the Games, the theme of the site is “Beijing Now. WPS Next.”

“All eyes are currently on Beijing,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “From the beginning, we have said that WPS will be unique in that we will provide fans unparalleled interaction with our players and each other; this site is the first step in fulfilling that promise.”

Blogs and chats about the Olympic soccer team will be highlights of the site. The WPS is set to kick off next spring with seven teams.