2008 Olympic balance beam gold-medalist Shawn Johnson visited Pittsburgh to talk about the upcoming 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships, scheduled for Aug. 21-24 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. While in Pittsburgh, she led the towel twirl at Sunday night’s Pittsburgh Steelers game, which created a buzz on Twitter. She also gave media interviews and visited a local gym club.

The 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships, USA Gymnastics’ national championships, features men’s and women’s gymnastics, with gymnasts in both the junior and senior divisions. The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held in conjunction with the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This is the first time the event has been held in Pittsburgh and just the fourth time in Pennsylvania (since 1973).

All-session tickets, which includes all eight competitive sessions, are on sale now and range in price from $150-$500. Ticket prices include facility fees and vary according to ticket location. The Platinum VIP tickets include a commemorative gift, autographed poster and a meet-and-greet with an Olympian. Tickets will be available at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. For group (10+ people) sales information, please call the Justin Leach at (412) 804-7904. Discounted tickets are also available through local gym clubs that are participating in the Club Ticket Sales Program.

The 2014 P&G Championships competition schedule is: Thursday, Aug. 21 – women’s gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.); Friday, Aug. 22 – men’s gymnastics, juniors (1 p.m.) and seniors (7 p.m.); Saturday, Aug. 23 – women’s gymnastics, juniors (2 p.m.) and seniors (7:30 p.m.); and Sunday, Aug. 24 – men’s gymnastics, seniors (1 p.m.) and juniors (7:30 p.m.).

The 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships showcases the country’s best male and female gymnasts, as well as determines the U.S. champions and the U.S. national team for the junior and senior elite levels. The nationals also traditionally serve as part of the selection process for the U.S. Team for the World Championships. Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/Bannon’s Gymnastix, and Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./University of Michigan, won the men’s and women’s U.S. all-around titles, respectively, in 2013.