2008 Summer Olympic Games Preview - Gymnastics
July 17, 2008
The U.S. women's gymnastics team is shaping up to be the favorites to not only win the team gold medal in Beijing, but
also take plenty of individual honors at the Olympics.
Four years ago, Carly Patterson became the darling of the gymnastics world by winning the all-around gold medal.
Now the torch could be passed to 16-year- old Shawn Johnson, the 2007 world all-around champion, or 18-year-old
Nastia Liukin, as the duo finished 1-2 at the U.S. Olympic trials in June.
Born in Moscow, Russia, Liukin is the second Olympian in her family. Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, won four
gymnastics medals at the 1988 Olympics, including two gold, and her mother was a 1987 rhythmic gymnastics world
champion.
Twelve men's teams and 12 women's teams, with a maximum of six athletes per squad, will compete at Beijing's
National Indoor Stadium.
As of press time, the remainder of the U.S. women's field was still to be determined, but those expected on the team
are Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek and vault specialist Alicia Sacramone are the favorites to make the team.
Sacramone won her fourth straight U.S. vaulting title at nationals earlier this year.
There are a total of 14 events in artistic gymnastics, and that includes team events for both the men and women.
Individually, each gender has the all- around, vault and floor exercise, but then there are differences. The men
compete on the pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and high bar, while the women have two less individual disciplines
with the uneven bars and balance beam.
The U.S. men's team has been named, but there is still one issue to resolve before the team heads to Beijing.
Reigning Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm and his brother, Morgan, will be making their third trip to the
Olympics, or so it seems. Paul is recovering from a broken bone in his right hand suffered on May 22 at the Visa
Championships in Houston. He's due to compete at an upcoming training camp in Colorado Springs to see if he's
recovered enough to remain on the squad.
Morgan tested positive for a prescribed substance without first getting the proper clearance, although despite a
warning from USADA, he's allowed to compete on the team.
Jonathan Horton is also on the team, as is rings specialist Kevin Tan, along with Joseph Hagerty and Justin Spring. For
Spring, a native of Burke, Va., being named to the team is remarkable in the sense that he had reconstructive surgery
on his knee after tearing his ACL at the 2007 Visa Championships.
Internationally, the Chinese are strong contenders to win plenty of hardward amongst the men. Yang Wei earned a
silver in the 2000 Olympics individual all- around, as well as a gold medal in the team. Now at 28 and on the heels of
2006 and 2007 world all-around titles, he's ready to bring China to the top again.
Xiao Qin has won three world titles on pommel horse, while Chen Yibing is a two-time champion on rings. Additionally,
Huang Xu captured the silver medal in 2003 on parallel bars.
South Korean Yang Tae-Young remembers the supposed injustice from 2004 when he was credited with an incorrect
start value on parallel bars during the men's all-around final. He finished with the bronze medal, barely behind gold
medalist Paul Hamm. The South Korean delegation protested, but gymnastics' international governing body upheld the
scores despite admitting a mistake had been made. Now 28, Yang won a bronze medal at the team event in the 2006
Asian Games, although his main threat to medal would be on parallel bars in Beijing and not in the all-around.
Kyle Shewfelt garnered Canada's first artistic gymnastics Olympic medal by winning the gold in the floor competition
four years ago, and he's back again for 2008.
Another intriguing story for the men will be the participation of Jordan Jovtchev, as the Bulgarian takes part in his fifth
Olympics. The 35-year-old has three bronzes and a silver, but has yet to win gold. He won a bronze on floor in 2004.
As far as the women go internationally, China, Italy and Romania are expected to be solid contenders in the team
competition. Specifically, Romania's Steliana Nistor finished second in the all-around at last year's World
Championships. That included a second-place finish on beam.
Jade Barbosa, who was third at worlds, will try to become the first Brazilian gymnast to win an Olympic medal. That also
goes for Italian Vanessa Ferrari.
Yang Yilin was sixth in the all-around at the 2007 Worlds and will be one to watch for the home country.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Beth Tweddle will lead Great Britain's medal hopes.
RHYTHMIC
This competition, which consists of individual and group events for women, is highlighted by competitors using
elements of ballet, gymnastics, theatrical dance, and apparatus manipulation. Gymnasts use a rope, hoop, ball, clubs
and ribbon during the event.
Russia has dominated rhythmic gymnastics in the past. Four years ago, Alina Kabaeva and Irina Tchachina finished
1-2 at the Olympics, but this time around the Ukraine's Anna Bessonova, who won the bronze, is could unseat the
Russians to capture the gold. Bessonova won a world all-around title last year in Greece, but both Olga Kapranova
and Vera Sessina of Russia are also hoping for gold in Beijing.
TRAMPOLINE
Chris Estrada and Erin Blanchard will represent the U.S. in the trampoline competition. Prior to this year, the lone
American to compete at the Olympics in trampoline was Jennifer Parilla.
Anna Dogonadze, a 35-year-old from Germany, is the defending women's champion. Henrik Stehlik, also from
Germany, won the bronze for the men four years ago and now hopes to take home the gold.
(Sports Network)
July 17, 2008
The U.S. women's gymnastics team is shaping up to be the favorites to not only win the team gold medal in Beijing, but
also take plenty of individual honors at the Olympics.
Four years ago, Carly Patterson became the darling of the gymnastics world by winning the all-around gold medal.
Now the torch could be passed to 16-year- old Shawn Johnson, the 2007 world all-around champion, or 18-year-old
Nastia Liukin, as the duo finished 1-2 at the U.S. Olympic trials in June.
Born in Moscow, Russia, Liukin is the second Olympian in her family. Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, won four
gymnastics medals at the 1988 Olympics, including two gold, and her mother was a 1987 rhythmic gymnastics world
champion.
Twelve men's teams and 12 women's teams, with a maximum of six athletes per squad, will compete at Beijing's
National Indoor Stadium.
As of press time, the remainder of the U.S. women's field was still to be determined, but those expected on the team
are Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek and vault specialist Alicia Sacramone are the favorites to make the team.
Sacramone won her fourth straight U.S. vaulting title at nationals earlier this year.
There are a total of 14 events in artistic gymnastics, and that includes team events for both the men and women.
Individually, each gender has the all- around, vault and floor exercise, but then there are differences. The men
compete on the pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and high bar, while the women have two less individual disciplines
with the uneven bars and balance beam.
The U.S. men's team has been named, but there is still one issue to resolve before the team heads to Beijing.
Reigning Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm and his brother, Morgan, will be making their third trip to the
Olympics, or so it seems. Paul is recovering from a broken bone in his right hand suffered on May 22 at the Visa
Championships in Houston. He's due to compete at an upcoming training camp in Colorado Springs to see if he's
recovered enough to remain on the squad.
Morgan tested positive for a prescribed substance without first getting the proper clearance, although despite a
warning from USADA, he's allowed to compete on the team.
Jonathan Horton is also on the team, as is rings specialist Kevin Tan, along with Joseph Hagerty and Justin Spring. For
Spring, a native of Burke, Va., being named to the team is remarkable in the sense that he had reconstructive surgery
on his knee after tearing his ACL at the 2007 Visa Championships.
Internationally, the Chinese are strong contenders to win plenty of hardward amongst the men. Yang Wei earned a
silver in the 2000 Olympics individual all- around, as well as a gold medal in the team. Now at 28 and on the heels of
2006 and 2007 world all-around titles, he's ready to bring China to the top again.
Xiao Qin has won three world titles on pommel horse, while Chen Yibing is a two-time champion on rings. Additionally,
Huang Xu captured the silver medal in 2003 on parallel bars.
South Korean Yang Tae-Young remembers the supposed injustice from 2004 when he was credited with an incorrect
start value on parallel bars during the men's all-around final. He finished with the bronze medal, barely behind gold
medalist Paul Hamm. The South Korean delegation protested, but gymnastics' international governing body upheld the
scores despite admitting a mistake had been made. Now 28, Yang won a bronze medal at the team event in the 2006
Asian Games, although his main threat to medal would be on parallel bars in Beijing and not in the all-around.
Kyle Shewfelt garnered Canada's first artistic gymnastics Olympic medal by winning the gold in the floor competition
four years ago, and he's back again for 2008.
Another intriguing story for the men will be the participation of Jordan Jovtchev, as the Bulgarian takes part in his fifth
Olympics. The 35-year-old has three bronzes and a silver, but has yet to win gold. He won a bronze on floor in 2004.
As far as the women go internationally, China, Italy and Romania are expected to be solid contenders in the team
competition. Specifically, Romania's Steliana Nistor finished second in the all-around at last year's World
Championships. That included a second-place finish on beam.
Jade Barbosa, who was third at worlds, will try to become the first Brazilian gymnast to win an Olympic medal. That also
goes for Italian Vanessa Ferrari.
Yang Yilin was sixth in the all-around at the 2007 Worlds and will be one to watch for the home country.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Beth Tweddle will lead Great Britain's medal hopes.
RHYTHMIC
This competition, which consists of individual and group events for women, is highlighted by competitors using
elements of ballet, gymnastics, theatrical dance, and apparatus manipulation. Gymnasts use a rope, hoop, ball, clubs
and ribbon during the event.
Russia has dominated rhythmic gymnastics in the past. Four years ago, Alina Kabaeva and Irina Tchachina finished
1-2 at the Olympics, but this time around the Ukraine's Anna Bessonova, who won the bronze, is could unseat the
Russians to capture the gold. Bessonova won a world all-around title last year in Greece, but both Olga Kapranova
and Vera Sessina of Russia are also hoping for gold in Beijing.
TRAMPOLINE
Chris Estrada and Erin Blanchard will represent the U.S. in the trampoline competition. Prior to this year, the lone
American to compete at the Olympics in trampoline was Jennifer Parilla.
Anna Dogonadze, a 35-year-old from Germany, is the defending women's champion. Henrik Stehlik, also from
Germany, won the bronze for the men four years ago and now hopes to take home the gold.
(Sports Network)
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