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

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

Sports

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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

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Event Winning team Results Attendance Notes
Basketball Team World 85-77 2,517 15 assists by Laia Palau[5]
Beach Volleyball Team Americas 3 matches won
1 match lost
3,291 Gold medal game won by April Ross and Alix Klineman[6]
Figure Skating Team Americas 192.5 (Americas)
182.5 (World)
3,634 Team 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]
Gymnastics Team Americas 158.5 4,210 Balance Beam, Artistic Floor and Aesthetic Gymnastics won by Team Americas
Power Tumbling won by Team World
Parkour had a tie score of 34
Ice Hockey Team Americas 3-1 2,851 Team World Goal by Annina Rajahuhta
Team Americas Goals by Hannah Brandt, Kali Flanigan and Taylor Marchin[8]
Table Tennis Team Americas 5 Matches won
0 matches lost
Tennis Team Americas 3 matches won, 2 matches lost 3,920 Bianca Andreescu   Canada defeated Victoria Azarenka in a 6-2 final to win the fifth and deciding game[9]

Rosters

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Team Americas Team World

Team Americas

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THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE LIST

  • Honorary captain: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Name Sport Position Height Nationality Notes
Bianca Andreescu Tennis N/A 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)   Canada 2019 US Open champion
Vicki Baugh Basketball   United States Competed in the WNBA with the San Antonio Silver Stars
Kenisha Bell Basketball   United States Selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Draft
Hannah Brandt Ice hockey Forward 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)   United States Gold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Hope Bravo Gymnastics N/A   United States Specialist in Power Tumbling
Alicia Boren Gymnastics N/A   United States 2019 NCAA floor exercise co-champion
Katie Burt Ice hockey Goaltender   United States NCAA all-time wins leader (121)
First pick overall of 2017 NWHL Draft
Emma Cannon Basketball   United States Plays professionally for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury
Lauren Dahm Ice Hockey Goaltender 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)   United States Played professionally in CWHL for Boston Blades
Shiann Darkangelo Ice hockey Forward   United States Isobel Cup champion
Molly Engstrom Ice Hockey Forward   United States Silver medalist in women's ice hockey at 2010 Winter Games
Kali Flanagan Ice hockey Forward   United States Gold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Zoe Hickel Ice hockey Forward   United States 2019 Clarkson Cup champion
Emily Janiga Ice hockey Forward   United States Plays professionally for the Buffalo Beauts
Haley Skarupa Ice hockey Forward   United States Gold medalist in women's ice hockey at 2018 Winter Games
Brooke Webster Ice hockey Forward 165 cm (5 ft 5 in)   Canada Played professionally in CWHL for Vanke Rays

Team World

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THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE LIST

  • Honorary captain: Nadia Comăneci
Name Sport Position Weight Nationality Notes
Victoria Azarenka Tennis N/A 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)   Belarus Gold medalist at 2012 Summer Games
Belinda Bencic Tennis N/A 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)   Switzerland Runner-up in mixed doubles at 2015 US Open
Danusia Francis Gymnastics N/A 162 cm (5 ft 4 in)   Jamaica Gold medalist in Balance Beam at 2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship
Garbiñe Muguruza Tennis N/A 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)   Spain Number 1 ranking in WTA during September 2017
Stanislava Konstantinova Figure Skating Ladies 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)   Russia 4th place at 2019 European Figure Skating Championships

Athlete Advisory Committee

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

Name Title Nationality Notes
Tenley Albright Advisory Board Member   United States Medalist, 1952 and 1956 Winter Games
Doug Beal Advisory Board Member   United States Former CEO, USA Volleyball
Jane Blalock Advisory Board Member   United States Former LPGA golfer, Legends Hall of Fame, Founder and CEO of Legends Tour
Nadia Comăneci Advisory Board Member   Romania 9-time medalist, 1976 and 1980 Summer Games
Bart Conner Advisory Board Member   United States 2-time medalist, 1984 Summer Games
Chris Evert[11] Advisory Board Member   United States 18-time Grand Slam Champion
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Advisory Board Member   United States 6-time medalist, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games
Nancy Kerrigan Chair-Figure Skating   United States 2-time medalist, 1992 and 1994 Winter Games Winter Games
Ilana Kloss Advisory Board Member   South Africa CEO, World Team Tennis
Marti Malloy Advisory Board Member   United States 1-time Medalist, 2012 Summer Games
Shannon Miller Chair-Gymnastics   United States 7-time Medalist, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games
Digit Murphy Advisor Board Member   United States Former NCAA coach: Brown Bears, 2-time champion, 2013 and 2015 Clarkson Cup
Judy Murray Advisory Board Member   Scotland Tennis coach, motivational speaker
Monica Seles Chair-Tennis   Serbia 9-time Grand Slam Champion
Kelli Stack Chair-Ice Hockey   United States 2-time medalist, 2010 and 2014 Winter Games

Broadcasting

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

References

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  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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