Chinese women gymnasts aims at apparatus golds in Athens

Chinese women gymnasts will try to take golds on individual apparatus instead of team and all-around titles.

Lu Shanzhen, head coach of China's women team, told Xinhua Thursday after training that their gold hope are on beam and uneven bars.

"I think America and Romania have better chance than China for the team title, and a team medal goal is more realistic for China,"he said.

"But we have chance on beam and uneven bars.

"As for the all-around title, Russian Svetlana Khorkina is still one of the favorites," he said.

At the age of 25, a rejuvenated Khorkina is still a force to be reckoned with. She won the all-around in last year's championships and will try for a perfect ending to her career in Athens.

While Chinese men's team is widely recognized as second to none, China's women are more of a question-mark than their male teammates. Last year at the Anaheim world championships, Chinese women led in the qualification only to result in fourth place in the team final. The relatively inexperienced teenagers' team have yet to conquer the consistency demons.

In a three-up, three-count team finals format, it's all about consistency.

The Chinese women, however, have long excelled on beam and bars. World champion Fan Ye will bid for a beam title.

The Olympic gymnastics competition will start with men's qualification Saturday, followed by women's qualification.

Source: Xinhua