The 2006 FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) World Cup China leg kicked off at the Shanghai International Gymnastic Center today with hundreds of athletes from 18 countries taking part in competitions in six men's and four women's disciplines.

Among the foreign contingent are elite gymnasts such as Dutchman Yuri van Gelder, rings gold medallist at the 2005 World Championship and runner-up of the 2005 European Championship, and Brandon O'Neill of Canada, who won a silver medal for the floor at the world championships in 2005.

Olympics pommel horse champion Teng Haibin is spearheading a young Chinese team's medal efforts together with 17-year-old Cheng Fei, who had a new maneuver – a backward 180-degree flip with forward 540-degree flip – named after her and pommel horse prodigy Xiao Qin.

This is the first time world gymnastics competitions are being held under the new no scoring limitation system announced by the FIG. Players, who used to compete well under the 10-point- maximum system now have to modify their competition styles to suit the new system.

To better train new talents for the world championships in October and the Asiad in Doha, Qatar, in December, the China team offered the opportunity to younger athletes instead of the favorites and gold medal chasers, according to Gao Jian, director of China's Gymnastics Administration Center.

"10 points was the highest grade which meant that powerful athletes were reluctant to show too much flair," an international umpire said, adding that the new rule is beneficial to those who are developing new and difficult stunts.

The FIG World Cup consists of six legs each year. In the four stops held earlier this year in France's Lyon, Germany's Cottbus, Belgium's Gent and Russia's Moscow, China collected a total of 8 golds, 3 silvers and 5 bronzes.

The Shanghai leg is the highest-level global competition that China has held since the World Championships in Tianjin in 1999.

Schedules: 　　
July 14? Qualification Rounds
July 15? Finals of women's vault, uneven bars; Men's rings, floor and pommel horse
July 16? Finals of women's balance beam, floor; Men's vault, uneven bars and horizontal bar.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, July 14, 2006)