A vaulting horse showdown between China's triple world champion
Cheng Fei and former Olympic gold medalist Elena Zamolodchikova
will enthrall audiences at this week's World Cup Gymnastics in
Shanghai.
Cheng, the 19-year-old gymnastic treasure has set her sights on
defending her titles at the World Cup after claiming the gold medal
hat-trick at both the 2006World Championships and Doha Asian
Games.
"I won't look back to 2006 as the past gold medals won't
guarantee you anything," Cheng, gold medalist in both vault and
floor events in Shanghai last year, said.
"My target is to defend the titles and make the best preparation
for the World Championships in September."
As the leading gymnast of the powerful women's national team,
Cheng was instrumental in anchoring China's first team gold at the
2006 World Championships in Denmark.
She also clinched the gold medals on vault and floor before
backing up the feat at Doha in December.
Cheng became the first Chinese woman to win a gold medal in the
vault event at the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne,
Australia.
Despite her impeccable record, success in Shanghai is no
formality.
Zamolodchikova was also one of the most consistent women on the
World Cup circuit last year, winning bronze in the DTB-Cup in
Stuttgart, two silvers on vault and floor in the Glasgow Grand Prix
and ending the year with a vault bronze at the World Cup Finals in
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
While some top gymnasts retired following the introduction of a
new code in 2006, Zamolodchikova continued to improve
dramatically.
Despite missing the European Championships in Greece with
injury, the Russian veteran bounced back and helped her team to a
bronze medal in the team event at last year's Worlds, their first
podium finish at world level since 2001.
But Chen has the upper hand against Zamolodchikova, twice beatin
her on the vault in at World Championships.
Chinese head coach Lu Shanzhen said a victory in Shanghai would
help Chen's confidence and round off her preparation for the coming
World Championships.
"The World Cup is the last major test before this year's World
Championships and a win in Shanghai can give them confidence
heading into the World Championships in Stuttgart (Germany) in
September," Lu said.
But the top mentor refrained from placing any unnecessary
pressure on his charges.
"I won't set any specific target for my gymnasts," he said.
The event represents the last A-level competition before this
year' Worlds.
The Shanghai showdown also offers elite athletes the chance to
chart their progress and size up rivals in the lead-up to next
year's Beijing Olympics.
(China Daily July 25, 2007)