 Little separates Chinese and US women gymnasts
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-11 09:58 Since 2005, Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei has captured the imagination of gymnastic fans on the vault with her signature movement, the "Cheng Fei vault". But last year, young US athlete Shawn Johnson upstaged her when she was crowned the women's all-around world champion. The two will feature prominently in a fierce Sino-American Olympic battle. The US has just announced Johnson, winner of nine world championship medals, Nastia Liukin and Paul Hamm, the Olympic men's all-round champion, as members of their Beijing-bound team.
In Athens four years ago, the US grabbed two gold medals, six silvers and a bronze, finishing second in the gymnastics medal tally after Romania, which bagged four gold, three silvers and three bronzes. China mustered just one gold and three bronze medals to finish third. The US team continued its lead the following year, with four gold and silvers and a bronze finish at the 2005 World Championships. But China's young gymnasts fought back as Cheng began her dominance on the women's vault. Meanwhile, the "king of the pommel horse," Xiao Qin, won his signature event. China then stamped its presence at the 2006 worlds with a dominant eight gold medals, while the United States was denied a single victory, settling for just five silvers and a bronze. The competition between the two sides was just as tight at this year's worlds, with China (5) edging the US (4) by a single gold medal. China's women's sole gold effort came from Cheng on the vault, but rising star Johnson stole the show by taking the gold in the all-around floor exercises and team events. Liukin, the 2005 world champion on the beam and uneven bars, won another gold medal for the Americans with her victory on the balance beam. "Right now, the rivalry between the US and China is at its strongest, as some of the other countries are not quite up there where they used to be," Marvin Sharp, coach of the US women's team, said recently. "I think it makes it more enjoyable." Following the women's competition at the 2008 US Olympic Team Trials, Johnson and Liukin automatically qualified by finishing the top two in the all-round category. "This is only the beginning," said Johnson, ahead of her first Olympics. "I am just overwhelmed with joy. I am so happy. This moment is all worth it." Liukin said she was "ecstatic" to win selection. "I can't believe it's here. This is a dream come true. I still have to prove myself at camp, go back in the gym and prove myself." Including these two, a total of 10 women were invited to the 2008 Women's Olympic Selection Camp from July 16-20 at the National Team Training Center in Huntsville, Texas, where the remaining four Olympic berths and three alternatives are up for grabs. Others vying for spots include Chellsie Memmel, the 2005 all-round world champion, Samantha Peszek, member of the 2007 world champion US team, and Alicia Sacramone, a seven-time medalist at World Championships. Chinese officials are also busy preparing a final team list, but vault world champion Cheng is sure to lead the team. Besides her, a group of young gymnasts like He Kexin, a new star on uneven bars, may qualify. He, who won two consecutive World Cup titles this year in Doha and Cottbus, has emerged as a serious challenge to Liukin, the world champion on uneven bars. "My target is to beat her at the Olympics," He said. "She is definitely the most dangerous gymnast in the world, but I am confident I can keep her away from the gold medal as long as I can perform at my highest level." The final seven-member team will be announced later this month and is expected to be partly made up of youngsters, such as all-around medal contenders Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan. On the men's side, China faces a major challenge recapturing former glory. Never has it matched its performance at the boycot-hit 1984 Los Angeles Games, when it nabbed four of China's five gymnastics gold medals. At the time, China's "Gymnastics Prince" Li Ning won the men's rings, floor exercises and pommel horse while teammate Lou Yun won the vault. Following the comeback of Olympic world champion Hamm, China's all-round world champion Yang Wei will face strong confrontation. But Hamm, who will wage his third Olympic campaign, said gold might be out of reach given the strength of China. "The team is very strong," Hamm recently told reporters. "The one event that might be a little weaker is pommel horse. I think China is extremely difficult to beat. We can compete with the other countries - Japan, Russia, Romania. I guess for us a miracle would be beating China. A silver medal for us would be like winning the gold."  (China Daily 07/11/2008 page8) |
