The Stuttgart World Gymnastic Championships follows the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games, showcasing the world a much anticipated top gymnasts matchup from Sept. 1-9.

As a benchmark tournament leading up to the Beijing Olympics, everyone get to give everything to it. Double roles, the host of Beijing Olympics and the eight-gold winner from Aarhus worlds, put China in the spotlight of the championships.

The historic eight gold medals from Aarhus worlds came somewhat from a bit of luck, but more evidently from capability. Chinese team deserved the glory. Their hard and scientific training justified everything they got and that are yet to get.

If someone says China is strong enough to match the rest of the gymnastic world ahead of last year's championships, it's quite likely to stir up a lot of jeers, but not for now.
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Chinese head coach Huang Yubin downplayed China's eight-gold feat.

"I think we enjoy the temporary leading position because we studied the new judging system maybe earlier than the other teams and therefore understand it better," said Huang.

"But after the championships, they would learn more about the rules and train better. I believe they would catch up soon."

Nevertheless, China has never stopped its stride to be better and stronger.

China developed a series of new routines for national team gymnasts. What's the point for that? High difficulty says best.

"As a qualifier for the Olympic Games and world championships, no one can downplay national championships. All the high-difficulty routines will be shown here, so the championships will check up the output of last winter's training," coach Zhang Peiwen told Xinhua during the national championships in June.

This time, China keeps the men's line-up still experienced enough to retain their team title, but the women's team features a flock of fresh blood.

The men's team includes several world champions _ Yang Wei, Chen Yibing, Xiao Qin, Liang Fuliang, Zou Kai and Feng Jing. Yang, the triple gold medallist in Aarhus, maintains a superb shape in the year by leading individual all-around and rings title at China's national championships. A second triple in Stuttgart is not something intangible. Chen and Xiao are capable of being nicknamed "rings' king" and "pommel king" under current world situation. The newcomers Huang Xu, a veteran with world title, and Feng Zhe are specialists in parallel bars. Feng is also a vault gold medallist at Shanghai World Cup last month.

In China's women squad, Cheng Fei spearheads the "youth mission". Cheng, another Chinese triple titlist last year, boasts one of the best female gymnast worldwide. She is in a lofty position of symbolizing gold-picker in floor exercise and vault.

In spite of dropping Zhang Nan and Li Ya, the first ever team title members, Chinese women's squad is de facto stronger. The rookies Jiang Yuyuan, Yang Yilin, Xiao Sha and Li Shanshan are proved better master-hands than their predecessors.

American Mike Filla saw that firsthand while training at Beijing's Shichahai sports school last summer with four students from the St. Louis Gym Center, where he coaches. Filla left in awe and acknowledged Shichahai's gymnasts were three years ahead of his athletes.

Filla also attended China's national championships and had words of caution for US team.

"I would say the guy, who finished last in an event, was as good as I've seen in America," said Filla. "There guys are on a different level."

Anyway, gymnastics is a sport of combining difficulty and stability. No stability, all difficulty goes in vain. Stability can brings a win and can also cost everything especially for gymnastics characterized with twist, somersault and flying.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2007)