Wellington, FL – June 2, 2004 – A June edition of NBC-TV’s syndicated show U.S. Olympic Gold focuses on show jumping and features two members of the 2004 team bound for Athens – Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, New York, and McLain Ward of Brewster, New York. Hosted by 1992 Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist Summer Sanders, the show is scheduled to air in the New York area during the June 5-6 weekend, and elsewhere around the country during the month of June – viewers should check their local listings for U.S. Olympic Gold on their local NBC affiliate stations.

U.S. Olympic Gold is a 30-minute magazine show focused exclusively on U.S. athletes as they prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games. It is the only television series officially sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Viewers get an inside look at the lives and stories behind the success of these athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games.

U.S. Olympic Gold host Summer Sanders traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, in April for the inaugural Charlotte Jumper Classic, on assignment to find out how Olympic hopeful show jumpers were preparing for Athens. Guided by Mason Phelps, Jr. of Phelps Media Group, Inc., Summer met Beezie and McLain who were competing in the Charlotte Jumper Classic. Both riders had announced their intentions to compete in the Olympic Selection Trials in May.

Beezie and McLain subsequently competed in the Show Jumping Olympic Selection Trials in California and were named to the short list of riders that will compete in Europe before the final four members of the U.S. team for Athens is named. The pre-Trials interviews at the Charlotte Jumper Classic are an insightful look at how both riders were preparing for the selection process and ultimately a berth on the team. It will be the first Olympic team for both Beezie and McLain.

Host Summer Sanders also got the lowdown on the four-legged Olympians. She interviewed Mason Phelps, the alternate on the Three-Day Eventing Team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, who talked about the unique relationship between rider and horse and the chemistry that is needed for success.

Summer wrapped up her show jumping interviews by getting in the saddle and taking some first-rate instruction from Beezie as she tested her athleticism over a few jumps in the Charlotte Coliseum.

U.S. Olympic Gold, produced by TWI, the television division of IMG, airs in most major cities across the U.S. on network affiliate stations. For more information and to see the most recent airdates, times and stations, visit http://www.olympic-usa.org/about_us/calendars/tv_gold.html