10. August 2004  
Olympic city Athens  
Artistic Gymnastics

Olympic Training in full Speed

Yang, Wei, one of the top favorites...

Team favorite China in top form
Despite a long-lasting journey and jet lag, the men of the Team World Champion China make an excellent impression.
Especially the winner of the silver medal in Sydney and Vice-World Champion of Anaheim YANG, Wei presented his routines on the highest technical level. Both he and his compatriot and World Champion on pommel horse Li, Xiaopeng completed their programmes without any stability problems.....

... however, there are further teams and gymnasts to make the upcoming competitions suspensful and exciting...
09. Aug: Observations of the Olympic training
Dieter Hofmann reports from Athens

One has already now to take one's hat off to the Ukranian men. Certainly, they still suffer from the bereavement of one of their stars (- Alexander Beresch's fatal car accident in spring 2004). Furthermore, shortly before the departure to Athens, Anatoli Shemiakin, who is one of their most renowned coaches (Misjutin, Korobtschinski), suffered from a heart attack and had to waive the journey.
They still attracted attention with a quite relaxed training, as the French did, too. A highlight was the routine on high bar of the Ukrainian Valeri Gontscharow!

Testing flyer Karbonenko (FRA)

In the morning the old-champion Dmitri Karbonenko from France tested the competition apparatus on the podium at request of the supplier and complimented on them as well as the international coaching notables such as the Chinese Gaojing, Jesus Carballo sen. (ESP), Leonid Arkajew (RUS) as well as the president of FIG Bruno Grandi.
It is striking to observe the special Asian politeness during the training. The Chinese, Koreans, Japanese bow, they bow low, to each other oftenly and several times repeated. That is evidence of a high mutual appreciation and respect!
All three Asian teams are in excellent Olympic shape
As China and Korea so the Japanese proved their brilliant constitution - after already two days of maximum load before the podium training: After 75 minutes of the most intensive training they started a complete team competiton. And, since it was so nice, they repeated it for a second time!! Yoneda, Tsukahara and Kashima will each perform a complete all-around. Clear goal: a team medal!
The members of Japan's Olympic team in 1988 Iketani and Mitsushima send best regards to Sylvio Kroll, Holger Behrendt and Sven Tippelt of the German Olympic silver team (GDR).
Despite rigious limitations, which are typical for Olympics, there is rather much accredited company, especially around the teams from USA. There, you can see former internationals like Tim Dagget, Elvi Schlegel, Valeri Ljukin, John Roethlisberger as well as a high number of supervising coaches...!

The Australians have lost one of its key members through injury, only days before the Olympic program is due to start.
Danielle Kelly was preparing for her Olympic debut in Athens when she tore a calf muscle in training. The 18-year-old will leave the athletes village and fly home to Australia later this week and her place in the team will be taken by Karen Nguyen.

Fabian Hambüchen:
'... I need my contacts!'

Hambuechen with limited sight - but still with full view
Germany's youngster Fabian Hambüchen has a huge wearout of contacts: Since Thursday he wore out already three pairs due to a permanent putting in and taking out so that he has to use his sports glasses with rubber spring, now. The young man from Wetzlar suffers from a specific form of corneal curvature and uses a custom-made product. His contacs are produced by the Dutch company 'Pro Cornea' which sets quality standards in Europe and is represented by 'ECCO_Müller Welt' and by 'Optik Pape' in Wetzlar - however.....
Tomorrow his father/coach Wolfgang will travel quickly to the Netherlands in order to pick up at least two pairs of this special model, and to airfreight them to Athens, so that his filius will see clear at the latest on the day after tomorrow!
... there are so many people and processes in order to support the Olympic participants in Athens!

Dieter Hofmann reports from Athens as Gymmedia's correspondent

Translation: Florian Schmid-Sorg