Chevron Extends Support of USA Gymnastics and Team Chevron Through 2008

The program has been expanded to provide event sponsorship rights and support to the Women's National Team Training Center at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas. Additionally, Chevron will supply the program with its Chevron with Techron(R) gasoline, the first gasoline in the US designated Top Tier by meeting the tough performance criteria set by BMW, GM, Honda and Toyota.

Chevron -- a seven-year sponsor of the men's gymnastics program -- provides direct assistance to Team Chevron athletes to support their year-round training regimen, allowing them to focus solely on training, as well as provide support for the coaches of these elite male athletes. For the next four years of the sponsorship, Chevron will continue to be a driving force fueling the top male gymnasts in the U.S. as they prepare for Beijing.

"Chevron is very proud to support our country's top gymnasts in their pursuit of excellence and fulfilling their dreams," said Danny Roden, vice president, North America, for Chevron Global Marketing. "Watching our 2004 Team Chevron members on the podium in Athens was a special moment for us. We look forward to supporting our world class team through many more enduring performances as they prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing."

All six members of the 2004 Men's U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team, which won the silver medal in Athens, were Team Chevron athletes.

"Team Chevron was a fundamental component in the overall success of our men's team for the past four years, culminating in the best Olympic finish for the men in more than two decades," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "Chevron's support enables our top male gymnasts to focus on their training, and the expansion of Chevron's involvement demonstrates the company's commitment to our sport and athletes."

In addition to its support of Team Chevron and the men's program, Chevron's sponsorship includes support for the Women's National Training Center, and sponsorship of the 2006 and 2008 Pacific Alliance Championships and the next four Winter Cup Challenges. The extended program also incorporates signage and recognition at USA Gymnastics events, advertising in event programs and association publications, and visibility on www.usa-gymnastics.org.

"Without Chevron, continuing my gymnastics career at the elite level would have been much more difficult," said Team Chevron member Brett McClure, a member of the team that claimed the silver medal in Athens. "Chevron has been a loyal supporter of gymnastics for many years, and it is truly an honor to wear the Chevron colors on the podium."

The ten members of Team Chevron for 2005, listed alphabetically, are:

-- Guillermo Alvarez of Denver, Colo., completing his first year on the national team, placed second in the all-around, pommel horse and vault at the 2005 Winter Cup Challenge.

-- Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo., a member of the men's national team for two years, won the pommel horse at the 2005 American Cup and the national parallel bars at the 2004 Visa Championships.

-- Raj Bhavsar of Houston, a four-year member of the senior national team, won the still rings at the 2004 Visa Championships and was the alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. In 2003, he was on the team that took the silver medal at the World Championships and earned the national title for the vault. Currently, he competes for Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

-- David Durante of Garwood, N.J., a three-year member of the national team who trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC), competed on the gold medal team that won the 2004 Stella Zakharova Cup in Kiev, Ukraine, and earned himself the all-around title at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.

-- Jason Gatson of Mesa, Ariz., a five-year national team member who also trains at the USOTC, earned a team silver medal at both the 2004 Olympic Games and 2003 World Championships, as well as winning the 2004 Visa American Cup title.

-- Eric LaMorte of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., who joined the national team earlier this year, attends State University of New York at Farmingdale, majoring in criminal justice. He took first in the still rings at the 2005 Winter Cup Challenge, 2004 USA Gymnastics Championships and 2002 Junior Olympic National Championships, as well as earning a bronze medal at the 2005 American Cup.

-- Brett McClure of Mill Creek, Wash., a six-year national team member who trains at the USOTC, earned team silver medals at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. He also placed second in the pommel horse and all-around competitions at the 2004 Visa Championships.

-- Todd Thornton of Houston, Texas, a four-year member of the Men's National Team, won the high bar and placed second in the team competition at the 2004 Jurassic Classic in Calgary.

-- Sean Townsend of Dallas, Texas, who has been on the men's national team for seven years, earned national titles in the parallel bars in 2001-02 and the all-around in 2001, as well as winning the parallel bars crown and the team silver medal at the 2001 World Championships.

-- Blaine Wilson of Columbus, Ohio, a 12-year national team member and three-time Olympian, was a member of the team that earned silver medals at the 2004 Olympic Games and 2003 World Championships, in addition to being a national champion from 1996-2000.

Additionally, Paul Hamm of Waukesha, Wis., who is taking some time off to focus on his collegiate studies, is serving as spokesperson for Chevron to promote its involvement via promotional appearances and other activities. If he decides to return to competitive gymnastics before 2008, he will return as a member of Team Chevron.

Hamm made gymnastics history by becoming the first U.S. gymnast to win the coveted Olympic and world all-around titles. His world all-around title was one of three medals at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif. The men's team won the silver medal, and Hamm also captured the gold medal in the floor exercise. One year later, he captured America's hearts by winning not only the Olympic all-around title, but also the silver medal in both the high bar and team competitions at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Chevron joins Visa, T.J. Maxx, adidas, GK/Elite Sportswear and 24 Hour Fitness in USA Gymnastics' corporate partner family.

Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading energy companies. With more than 47,000 employees, Chevron subsidiaries conduct business in approximately 180 countries around the world, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas, and refining, marketing and distributing fuels and other energy products. Chevron Global Marketing supports three world-class brands -- Texaco, Chevron and Caltex -- in regions where we operate. Chevron Global Marketing is a division of Chevron Global Downstream LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corp. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information on Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the sport's national governing body in the United States, encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence in gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.