BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States' female gymnasts are looking to secure several gold medals at the upcoming Paris Olympics, particularly in the women's team event, which they lost to the ROC at the Tokyo Olympics, while China and Japan will be the main contenders for the men's titles.
The U.S. women, who won team titles in 2012 and 2016, seem even more formidable, as Simone Biles has returned to superb form, winning the all-around world title in 2023 and taking a ninth national championship in 2024.
After the Tokyo Olympics, Biles took time to polish her signature Yurchenko double pike, upgrade her floor exercise, and recently produced a new dismount combination on bars.
But it's not just Biles that makes the American team stronger. Reigning all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee and 24-year-old Jade Carey also stand out. Lee is known for her excellence on the uneven bars, while Carey is a valuable asset on floor and vault.
There are, however, quite a few notable contenders that may pose a serious challenge for the U.S..
China's Qiu Qiyuan defeated Biles on the uneven bars at last year's world championships, and is eyeing glory in Paris. "It's competitive, but if I can finish it smoothly, I will have a chance to win the title," Qiu said.
Qiu's teammate Zhou Yaqin, with a brilliant display on the balance beam, is also a strong candidate for the Olympic title.
In the women's team event, three athletes from each team compete on vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. "Vault and floor may not be our favorite," said Qiu. "We hope to have consistent and well-performed routines to make up for the difficulty."
Having a breakout year in 2023 by taking a first-ever team silver medal in the world championship, Brazil's squad, led by Tokyo all-around silver medalist Rebeca Andrade, is on the hunt for an unprecedented Olympic team medal for the South American nation.
France's women's team, having never previously finished higher than fifth at an Olympics, is in contention for a medal after a strong showing for a team bronze at the world championships last year.
In the men's competition, 2021 world all-around champion Zhang Boheng of China, a long-time rival of reigning Olympic and world all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto, is set to challenge for his first-ever Olympic title.
Japan have also sent a strong team to join Hashimoto that includes NHK Trophy men's all-around title winner Shinnosuke Oka. Finishing second in the team final at the Tokyo Olympics, Japan were crowned world champions in 2023 and are looking to repeat their success in Paris.
The gymnastics competition of Paris 2024 will run through July 27 to August 5. ■
