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When the United States announced its Olympic roster in July, USA gymnastics said on its Web site the Americans had "laid down its challenge to China."
The Chinese likely didn't blink. China, which won the men's team gold medal in 2000, has a squad expected to be as talented as that one. The country will be represented in Athens by Li Xiao-Peng, Huang Xu, Yang Wei, Xing Aowei, Teng Haibin and Xiao Qin. The group is balanced, consistent and focused, and the lineup is so talented that 2001 world champion Feng Jing is an alternate.
At last year's World Championships, China was first and the Americans second. Xiao-Peng (vault, parallel bars) and Haibin (pommel horse) were individual champions. Wei was second in the all-around behind U.S. star Paul Hamm.
"China is clearly the favorite to win," said Amanda Turner, associate editor of International Gymnast Magazine. "This is pretty much the same team that competed at last year's World Championships.
"They've won about everything in the past 10 years, and really since the breakup of the Soviet Union."
BEST OF THE REST: Not to be overlooked is Japan, which was third at the 2003 World Championships, trailing the United States 171.121-170.708. Some think the Japanese will push China for gold more than the United States.
"The Japanese team is very underrated," Turner said. "They have some fantastic gymnasts and could be a darkhorse."
At worlds, Japanese standout Takehiro Kashima won gold on the high bar and shared the pommel horse title. The real star might be Hiroyuki Tomita, who was third in the all-around. Another star, Naoya Tsukahara, has one of the most famous names in gymnastics. His father, legendary Japanese gymnast Mitsou Tsukahara, invented the Tsukahara vault.
HEAVY HEARTS: Ukraine will have more than medals on its mind. The squad will compete without star Olexander Beresh, who died in a car accident last winter. Beresh was driving back from a visit to a friend's house near the Ukrainian national training center when his car was hit.
He was a double medallist during the 2000 Games (silver in team, bronze in individual all-around) and a double gold medalist during the 2000 European Championships (individual all-around and high bar).
Now the Ukrainians are led by Roman Zozulya, the 2004 European Champion on parallel bars. He also excels in the all-around.
ODDS AND ENDS: Keep an eye on the Romanians, who captured the 2004 European title. ... Russia is talented, but it has older athletes and might not be up to the task. ... Canadian Kyle Shewfelt, a floor and vault specialist, is one of the top North Americans in the field.
- Compiled by Keith Niebuhr using information from International Gymnast Magazine and www.worldchampgym2003.com