2019 Aurora Games

The 2019 Aurora Games was a female international multi-sport event that was held between 20 and 25 August 2019 in Albany, New York, United States of America. Planned to be a biennial event, the Times Union Center served as host venue. Albany shall also serve as host city for the 2021 and 2023 Aurora Games.[1]

2019 Aurora Games
Host cityAlbany, New York
CountryUSA
Opening20 August 2019 (2019-08-20)
Closing25 August 2019 (2019-08-25)
WebsiteOfficial site

The Aurora Games, designed as a multisport women's version of the Laver Cup,[2] has in addition featured musical performances, food tastings, sports clinics, autograph sessions and the “Conversations with Champions” series of seminars. The keynote speaker for the Aurora Games was Judge Rosemarie Aquilina,[3] who presided over the case of the disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.[4]

The Games

Times Union Center was the host venue for all events of the Aurora Games

Sports

The 2019 Aurora Games programme featured seven sports. Team and individual competitions consisted of athletes from 15 countries participating as part of All-star teams known as Team Americas and Team World. Said teams were led by honorary captains Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Nadia Comăneci with the teams competing for the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Trophy. Team Americas captured the first Trophy, defeating Team World in six of the seven events.

Results

EventWinning teamResultsAttendanceNotes
BasketballTeam World85-772,51715 assists by Laia Palau[5]
Beach VolleyballTeam Americas3 matches won
1 match lost
3,291Gold medal game won by April Ross and Alix Klineman[6]
Figure SkatingTeam Americas192.5 (Americas)
182.5 (World)
3,634Team Americas prevailed in the short program with a score of 79.0
In the long program, Team Americas won with a score of 113.5
Alysa Liu became the first American woman to land a quadruple lutz in competition[7]
GymnasticsTeam Americas158.54,210Balance Beam, Artistic Floor and Aesthetic Gymnastics won by Team Americas
Power Tumbling won by Team World
Parkour had a tie score of 34
Ice HockeyTeam Americas3-12,851Team World Goal by Annina Rajahuhta
Team Americas Goals by Hannah Brandt, Kali Flanigan and Taylor Marchin[8]
Table TennisTeam Americas5 Matches won
0 matches lost
TennisTeam Americas3 matches won, 2 matches lost3,920Bianca Andreescu  Canada defeated Victoria Azarenka in a 6-2 final to win the fifth and deciding game[9]

Rosters

Team Americas Team World

Team Americas

THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE LIST

  • Honorary captain: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Name Sport Position Height Nationality Notes
Bianca AndreescuTennisN/A170 cm (5 ft 7 in) Canada2019 US Open champion
Vicki BaughBasketball United StatesCompeted in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars
Kenisha BellBasketball United StatesSelected by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Draft
Hannah BrandtIce hockeyForward5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) United StatesGold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Hope BravoGymnasticsN/A United StatesSpecialist in Power Tumbling
Alicia BorenGymnasticsN/A United States2019 NCAA floor exercise co-champion
Katie BurtIce hockeyGoaltender United StatesNCAA all-time wins leader (121)
First pick overall of 2017 NWHL Draft
Emma CannonBasketball United StatesPlays professionally for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury
Lauren DahmIce HockeyGoaltender168 cm (5 ft 6 in) United StatesPlayed professionally in CWHL for Boston Blades
Shiann DarkangeloIce hockeyForward United StatesIsobel Cup champion
Molly EngstromIce HockeyForward United StatesSilver medalist in women's ice hockey at 2010 Winter Games
Kali FlanaganIce hockeyForward United StatesGold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Zoe HickelIce hockeyForward United States2019 Clarkson Cup champion
Emily JanigaIce hockeyForward United StatesPlays professionally for the Buffalo Beauts
Haley SkarupaIce hockeyForward United StatesGold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Brooke WebsterIce hockeyForward165 cm (5 ft 5 in) CanadaPlayed professionally in CWHL for Vanke Rays

Team World

THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE LIST

  • Honorary captain: Nadia Comăneci
Name Sport Position Weight Nationality Notes
Victoria AzarenkaTennisN/A183 cm (6 ft 0 in) BelarusGold medalist at 2012 Summer Games
Belinda BencicTennisN/A175 cm (5 ft 9 in)  SwitzerlandRunner-up in mixed doubles at 2015 US Open
Danusia FrancisGymnasticsN/A162 cm (5 ft 4 in) JamaicaGold medalist in Balance Beam at 2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship
Garbiñe MuguruzaTennisN/A182 cm (6 ft 0 in) SpainNumber 1 ranking in WTA during September 2017
Stanislava KonstantinovaFigure SkatingLadies168 cm (5 ft 6 in)Russia Russia4th place at 2019 European Figure Skating Championships

Athlete Advisory Committee

The Athlete Advisory Committee is chaired by Donna de Varona.[10]

NameTitleNationalityNotes
Tenley AlbrightAdvisory Board Member United StatesMedalist, 1952 and 1956 Winter Games
Doug BealAdvisory Board Member United StatesFormer CEO, USA Volleyball
Jane BlalockAdvisory Board Member United StatesFormer LPGA golfer, Legends Hall of Fame, Founder and CEO of Legends Tour
Nadia ComăneciAdvisory Board Member Romania9-time medalist, 1976 and 1980 Summer Games
Bart ConnerAdvisory Board Member United States2-time medalist, 1984 Summer Games
Chris Evert[11]Advisory Board Member United States18-time Grand Slam Champion
Jackie Joyner-KerseeAdvisory Board Member United States6-time medalist, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games
Nancy KerriganChair-Figure Skating United States2-time medalist, 1992 and 1994 Winter Games Winter Games
Ilana KlossAdvisory Board Member South AfricaCEO, World Team Tennis
Marti MalloyAdvisory Board Member United States1-time Medalist, 2012 Summer Games
Shannon MillerChair-Gymnastics United States7-time Medalist, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games
Digit MurphyAdvisor Board Member United StatesFormer NCAA coach: Brown Bears, 2-time champion, 2013 and 2015 Clarkson Cup
Judy MurrayAdvisory Board Member ScotlandTennis coach, motivational speaker
Monica SelesChair-Tennis Serbia9-time Grand Slam Champion
Kelli StackChair-Ice Hockey United States2-time medalist, 2010 and 2014 Winter Games

Broadcasting

During May 2019, ESPN announced that it was to serve as the exclusive broadcast home for the inaugural Aurora Games.[12]

References

  1. Pete Dougherty (2019-08-25). "Aurora Games returning to Albany in 2021 and 2023". timesunion.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  2. "More than a sporting event, Aurora Games give voice to female athletes". ESPN.com. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  3. Aishwarya Kumar (2019-08-20). "More than a sporting event, Aurora Games give voice to female athletes". ESPN. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  4. Fiona Tomas (2019-08-23). "Aurora Games mean well for women's sport but the choice of events pushes too 'feminised' an image". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  5. Pete Dougherty (2019-08-22). "Palau does it all for World in Aurora Games basketball". timesunion.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  6. Bob Weiner (2019-08-25). "Aurora Games will return to Albany in 2021". dailygazette.com. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  7. Pete Dougherty (2019-08-24). "Alysa Liu makes history in Aurora Games". timesunion.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. Jim Schiltz (2019-08-23). "Aurora Games: Team Americas takes hockey on late goals". dailygazette.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  9. Mark Masters (2019-08-21). "Andreescu embraces pressure ahead of US Open: "I love the hype"". tsn.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  10. The Associated Press (2019-01-29). "Aurora Games: Albany to host international women's sports festival in 2019". Syracuse.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  11. Stephanie Myles (2019-04-15). "Aurora Games feature Andreescu, Mugu". tennis.life. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  12. Pete Dougherty (2019-05-08). "ESPNU to telecast Aurora Games in Albany". Times Union. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
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