Colorado Springs will not be home to a new USA Gymnastics training center, with the sport’s national governing body (NGB) announcing Tuesday it selected an Indiana town over Olympic City USA.

The sport – often one of Team USA’s top medal winners in the Olympics and World Championships – decided to build a training and wellness center in Noblesville, Ind., 20 miles north of its current location in Indianapolis.

“We were disappointed to not be chosen after a long, thorough process that included great sites, community support and competitive incentives,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, the president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and EDC. “However, we were honored to be a finalist location and look forward to the opportunity to host USA Gymnastics competitions in the future.”

The chamber worked in concert with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation on the recruitment process.

“It’s always disappointing to get news like this,” said Megan Leatham, Sports Corp’s president and CEO. “This was a two-year project. We worked with such great organizations and saw what our city is capable of.”

The “appetite” to compete was visible to Leatham at all stages of the recruiting process, and that encouraged her, she said. The process built a “strong relationship” between the city, Sports Corp and USA Gymnastics, she added.

The city will bid on future gymnastics championships, and USA Gymnastics spent time scouting possible host locations, Leatham said. It will be several years before those materialize, however.

Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) in November last year sought to attract a national governing body of an Olympic sport with as much as $552,500 in tax incentives and $1 million in other incentives.

Noblesville put up $40 million to attract USA Gymnastics, the city’s communications director said in an email. This includes incentives, land value and tax increment financing.

Known as “Project Kiwi”, OEDIT’s staffing figures and other details aligned with those of USA Gymnastics, the Gazette reported last year.

On Saturday, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce told The Gazette it had not received any updates regarding “Project Kiwi.”

If the training center and governing body had come to Colorado Springs, it was projected to bring 85 jobs with an average salary of $97,235, roughly 150% the average annual wage in the county.

“I think our package was enticing enough to win,” said Leatham. “(USA Gymnastics) was just hesitant to relocate 85 people across the country.”

Gymnastics’ gold standard

The sport is one of Team USA’s most prominent – and successful.

The gymnastics team has won 16 gold medals and 53 overall in the past five Olympics. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro saw the program’s most dominant performance, nabbing four gold, six silver and two bronze medals. In 2024, the U.S. team earned three gold, one silver and five bronze medals.

Gymnastics’ 40 all-time gold medals are the seventh-most for Team USA, though other sports such as track and field have many more events.

Marketing approach shifts

On Sept. 11, the chamber and Sports Corp issued a joint statement after a report revealed that “Olympic City USA” was not working as a marketing tool for businesses.

The chamber and Sports Corp said the “Olympic City USA” tagline reflects the “unique role” the city plays as the home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, training center and museum. The chamber and Sports Corps pivoted to a “broader messaging strategy” that still included the “pride and values” of Olympic City USA, the statement said.

“We, and many organizations, share the same goal in strengthening Colorado Springs’ economy and quality of life by ensuring our city is recognized for all it has to offer,” the statement said. “This brand is an ideal fit for organizations like the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, whose objective is to attract world-class sporting events and tournaments that draw visitors, strengthen our reputation, and generate significant economic impact.”

The city played host to the U.S. Senior Open this year as well as the Department of Defense Warrior Games.

Fundraising in Noblesville is set to begin immediately, according to the Associated Press. USA Gymnastics hopes to break ground on its new facility next spring and complete the project in 2028 – the same year as the Los Angeles Olympics.

Over the next 25 years, Noblesville is expected to see over $609 million in new spending, 209 jobs created, $35.9 million in state taxes and $16 million in local taxes, the city’s economic development department said.

Meanwhile, Leatham said she’s treating it like any economic development package that doesn’t go Colorado Springs’ way.

“You just roll up your sleeves and reflect on the lessons learned,” she said. “We’ll be back. This gave us a template for the future.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.