China will be looking to a largely inexperienced team to lay the
groundwork for the Beijing Olympics in less than two years' time at
the world gymnastics championships that get underway in Aarhus,
Denmark today.
The injury-ravaged Chinese are particularly eager to make their
mark in the men's team event -- a title they won at the 2000
Olympics and the 2003 worlds before finishing a disappointing fifth
at the 2004 Athens Games.
But their aspirations have been hit by a number of high-profile
injuries including Olympic gold medallist Huang Xu, who is
suffering from a strained chest muscle.
Feng Jing, the individual all-around gold medallist at the 2001
world championships, will replace Huang in a team already without
injured Olympic champions Li Xiaopeng and Teng Haibin.
The younger team members will be bolstered, however, by
defending pommel champion Xiao Qin and 2000 Olympic team winner
Yang Wei, while Cheng Fei will defend her vault title in the
women's event.
Their leading rivals are expected to be Japan, Romania and
Russia in a competition where a new scoring system will be used for
the first time at a world event.
The US, the 2003 world and 2004 Olympic silver medallists, are
competing with an inexperienced men's side, without 2004 Olympic
all-around champion Paul Hamm and his brother Morgan who are
focusing on their education and will decide next year whether to
continue in competitive gymnastics.
Japan, the 2004 Olympic team winners, can fancy their chances
with Hiroyuki Tomita and Hisashi Mizutori taking silver and bronze
respectively in the all-around event at the 2005 worlds.
Romania's challenge will be spearheaded by multiple Olympic
medallist and world champion on vault Marian Dragulescu while the
once-dominant Russians are on the rise again capturing the European
team title under new coach Andrei Rodionenko.
Rodionenko has called on experienced veterans Nikolai Krukov and
Alexei Bondarenko who returned after suffering a back injury in
Athens 2004.
The US are favorites in the women's team event despite the
shoulder injury suffered by Nastia Liukin.
Liukin, 16, is the reigning uneven bars and balance beam world
champion and was the 2005 world all-around and floor exercise
runner-up.
But she may just compete in the uneven bars because of her
injury.
Defending world all-around champion Chellsie Memmel, 18, was
second on the uneven bars and balance beam at last year's
worlds.
Alicia Sacramone, 18, is the reigning floor exercise world
champion.
Russia and surprise European champions Italy will be looking to
upset the Americans as will Olympic champions Romania despite the
retirement of triple Olympic gold medallist Catalina Ponor.
The new system of marking will come under the microscope during
the October 14-21 competition in Aarhus.
The maximum 10 score has been scrapped and replaced by a new
accumulative points system that credits the routine's content,
difficulty and execution.
(China Daily October 14, 2006)