The USOC is launching made-for-TV open tryouts for the U.S. national teams in bobsled, skeleton, cycling and rugby, and longtime sponsor 24 Hour Fitness is on board as a sponsor.
In “Scouting Camp — The Next Olympic Hopeful,” 50 men and 50 women will be selected through an open-application process to spend five days at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they will undergo screening and sport-specific training.
Ultimately, eight of them — one man and woman each in the four sports — will be invited to join the national teams, a designation that includes USOC financial, training and medical support as they attempt to qualify for future Olympics.
The entire process will be featured in a two-hour special set to air on NBCSN in August, and will be promoted on Team USA social channels throughout the summer. It’s another step in the USOC’s efforts to create original content and extend the Team USA brand beyond the biennial Olympics. The support from 24 Hour Fitness was included in its recently negotiated extension.
Athletes can apply online at teamusa.org/nextolympichopeful or 24HourFitness.com, or at certain 24 Hour Fitness locations in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Elite athletes of any sporting background are welcome to apply, the USOC said.
