It's an even-numbered year, thus the Arkansas Senior Olympics becomes a major event for potential contestants in the following year's National Senior Olympics.
Conducted annually by the Hot Springs-based Senior Arkansas Sports Organization and held at venus locally and throughout Garland County, the Arkansas games begin in earnest Thursday, launching a four-day weekend of activities for contestants 45 and up.
National Park Medical Center is the founding sponsor with the SASO also receiving major support from Visit Hot Springs, Citizens Bank, LifeNet, Bank of the Ozarks and Arkansas Governor's Council on Fitness. The state of Arkansas is a platinum sponsor with Sen. Bill Sample and Reps. Alan Clark, Bruce Cozart, Laurie Rushing and John Vines recognized. Hot Springs Sports and Recreation Department and the Hot Springs and Lakeside school districts are silver-level sponsors. Bronze-level contributors are Vernon Gingrich, Visit Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village Tennis Club and Hot Springs Family YMCA.
A celebration dinner for participating athletes is scheduled Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Hot Springs Country Club. Although open to the public, reservations only are accepted with seating limited. A sponsors' reception, by invitation only, precedes the dinner at 5:30 p.m.
Competition began Sept. 14 with bean-bag baseball at First Church of the Nazarene. Thursday's schedule includes tennis at Hot Springs Village, table tennis at First Church of the Nazarene, golf at Hot Springs Country Club and badminton at National Park College gymnasium.
Second-day activities Friday include shuffleboard, bowling, basketball shooting, pickleball, weightlifting and, at Hot Springs High, the first track-and-field events. Racquetball, archery, swimming and cycling follow Saturday with a road race and race walk along with two cycling events scheduled Sunday.
All events are open to ages 50 and up with some sports including ages 45-49. Out-of-state athletes may compete, although an Arkansas gold-medal winner will be crowned in each designated event. The 2017 national games are next June 2-15 in Birmingham, Ala.
Registration forms are available online at http://www.SrSports.org. Basic registration for eight events or less is $45 per Arkansas contestant and $47 per out-of-state participant, with $10 per each additional event over eight. Dinner tickets are $20 per registered Olympian and each guest and $10 per child.
For more information, call 501-321-1441, email [email protected] or go online at http://www.SrSports.org.
Arkansas Senior Olympics schedule
Thursday
TBA: Tennis, Hot Springs Village Tennis Club
8 a.m.: Table tennis, First Church of the Nazarene
8:30 a.m.: Golf, Hot Springs Country Club
9 a.m. Badminton (singles male and female), National Park College gymnasium
2 p.m.: Badminton (doubles male and female), National Park College gymnasium
3 p.m.: Badminton (mixed doubles), National Park College gymnasium
Friday
8:30 a.m.: Shuffleboard, First Church of the Nazarene
9 a.m.: Bowling, Central Bowling Lanes
9 a.m.: 1,500-meter race walk, Hot Springs High
9 a.m.-noon: Discus, high jump and javelin, Hot Springs High
10:30 a.m.: 400-meter walk, Hot Springs High
11 a.m.: Weightlifting, Pro Fitness Gym (contact: Joe Bill Morton, 501-321-4177)
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Basketball shoot, First Church of the Nazarene
Noon: Bowling, Central Bowling Lanes
2 p.m.: Tennis, Hot Springs Village Tennis Club
2:30 p.m.: Pickleball, TBA
5:30 p.m.: Sponsors' reception (invitation only), Hot Springs Country Club
6:30 p.m.: Celebration for athletes dinner (reservation required), Hot Springs Country Club
Saturday
Pickleball, TBA. Bowling, Central Bowling Lanes (501-525-1338). Tennis (check match times), Hot Springs Village Tennis Club (contact: Bob Wagstaff, 501-922-5054)
8 a.m.: Pole vault, Hot Springs High (contact field events: Amos Gray, 501-701-9920)
9 a.m.: Racquetball, Hot Springs Health and Fitness Club (contact: Pete Blakeslee, 501-321-2732 or 800-964-4368)
9 a.m.: Archery, Hot Springs High (contact: Charles Pate, 501-318-3775)
9 a.m.: Cycling 40K, Lake Catherine State Park
9 a.m.: 1,500-meter run, Hot Springs High
9 a.m.-11 a.m.: Standing long jump, Hot Springs High
9 a.m.-noon: Shot put, softball and football throw, Hot Springs High
9:30 a.m.: 100-meter dash, Hot Springs High
10 a.m.: 400-meter dash, Hot Springs High.
10 a.m.-noon: Running long jump, Hot Springs High
10:30 a.m.: 200-meter dash, Hot Springs High
11 a.m.-noon: Triple jump, Hot Springs High
11 a.m.: 800-meter run, Hot Springs High
11:30 a.m.: 50-meter dash, Hot Springs High
Noon: Swimming, Hot Springs Family YMCA (warm-up at 11 a.m. Contact 501-623-8803)
2 p.m.: Cycling 5K, Mid-America Boulevard
Sunday
Pickleball, TBA.
8 a.m.: Tennis (depending on numbers and match time), Hot Springs Village Tennis club
8 a.m.: 5k/10K road race and 5K race walk, Mid-America Boulevard.
9 a.m.: Cycling 20K, Lake Catherine State Park. (contact: Greg Ebert, 501-663-2288)
1 p.m.: Cycling 10K, Mid-America Boulevard.
Note: Call 501-321-1441 for information about other Senior Olympic events.
Sports on 09/28/2016