By Vera Atkinson FIG Editor.

FOUR SETS OF MEDALS TO GO NEW CHAMPIONS

Sunday, 17 August 2008, 18:00- 21:01 local time

Men's Floor
8 countries represented in the Final: BRA, ROU, ESP, GER, JPN, CHN, RUS, ISR. 2004 Olympic Champion Kyle Shewfelt (CAN), is the third reserve in the Final in Beijing.

The established trio of Olympic, World and World Cup Champions must start favourites in this event: the leader in the Qualification, current World Champion Diego Hypolito (BRA), 15.950, followed by former twice World Champion (2002/2006) Marian Dragulescu (ROU), 15.925 and 2002/2007 World Silver medallist Gervasio Deferr (ESP), 15.825.

Dragulescu has the edge in Difficulty; 6.900 pts in the Qualifications, as opposed to 6.600 for Hypolito and 6.500 for Gervasio Deferr. However, elegance and accuracy are the weapons of Hypolito and Deferr.

Closest to Dragulescu with regard to Difficulty is ZOU Kai (CHN), 6.7.
Fabian Hambuechen (GER); Kohei Uchimura (JPN); 2006/2008 European Champion Anton Golotsutskov (RUS) and Alexander Shatilov (ISR) are the other finalists, in what is expected to be a very closely fought Final. Clean landings of all acrobatic series will be of particular importance.

 Men's Pommel Horse
7 countries represented in the Final:  2xCHN,VEN,CRO,GBR,USA,JPN,KOR. 2004 Olympic Champion Teng Haibin (CHN).

Clear favourite is the three-time World Champion Xiao Qin (CHN), 2005/2006/2007.

After that it is anyone's guess. Louis Smith (GBR), 2007 World Bronze medallist, and Jose Luis Fuentes (VEN), several times finalist in World Cup events in 2007, performed the most difficult routines in the Qualification (6.5). Fillip Ude (CRO), Difficulty 6.4, also has a chance to medal.

Most spectacular for the audience is the routine of 2006 World Bronze medallist Alexander Artemiev (USA), with 6th best score in the Qualifications, but will his Difficulty of 6.100 be enough for a medal?

The new Olympic All-around Champion YANG Wei (CHN), Hiroyuki Tomita (JPN) and KIM Jihoon are the other three finalists.

 Women's Vault
8 countries represented in the Final: CHN,PRK,USA,GER,RUS,ITA,BRA,SUI. 2004 Olympic Champion Monica Rosu (ROU).

Cheng Fei (CHN) has been unbeatable at three World Championships - 2005/2006/2007!

Much will depend on the Start Value of the second Vault! Only Cheng Fei and Hong Un Jong (PRK) have a SV of 6.5 for both Vaults and are undoubted favourites.

The gymnastics world will be rooting for 32 year old Chussovitina (GER) to celebrate her fifth Olympics with a medal, but in the presence of Sacramone (USA), Pavlova (RUS), Giovaninni (ITA), Barbosa (BRA) and Kaslin (SUI) it will not be an easy job.

Women's Floor
5 countries represented: 2 x RUS, USA, CHN and 1 x ROU and BRA. 2004 Olympic Champion Catalina Ponor (ROU).

Elegance and beauty versus power and acrobatics!

Can Cheng Fei (CHN) and Nastia Lukin (USA) overcome current World Champion on Floor Shawn Johnson (USA) and twice European Champion Sandra Izbasa (ROU)? The Start Value in this event is spread over 0.7, which could influence the final outcome.

The other four finalists are the spectacular 2003 World Champion Daiane Dos Santos (BRA), Ekaterina Kramarenko and Anna Pavlova (RUS) and Jiang Yuyan (CHN).