The initial roster includes 9 male and 12 female gymnasts, where the final Worlds roster will be chosen from. Yang Yun and Huang Jing are both injured and thus out of the selection. The team going to USA will be consisted of 7 men and 7 women, 1 alternate on each team.

MEN: Li Xiao Peng, Yang Wei, Huang Xu, Xing Ao Wei, Lu Bin, Teng Hai Bin, Xiao Qin, Liang Fu Liang, Feng Jing

WOMEN: Zhang Nan, Kang Xin, Gu Zheng, Li Ya, Fan Ye, Zhang Yu Fei, Wang Tian Tian, Sun Xiao Jiao, Lin Li, Yang Ya Hong, Chen Miao Jie, Cheng Fei

The men's team is doing fine. The women's team will focus on consistency on vault and floor in the following two months. Recently the Chinese federation has been attempting many new elements, some of which are not in the code yet. For example, Li Ya's beam routine has a new split 360 jump, check out Li Ya's beam routine (you need to register first). It is sure that more new elements are coming from the men's team than the women's team.

Many new female gymnasts will emerge after Yang Yun's possible retirement. Li Ya, trained by the same coach as Mo Hui Lan and Ling Jie, has an excellent routine on beam and bars.

The men are training 10 SV new vaults already and some new skills on pommel horse and high bar. The Chinese coaches, when asked, were not willing to provide further details on what these new skills are, other than "some of them are not in the code yet."

All gymnasts in Beijing are being quarantined. They are not allowed to go out of dorm until the SARS situation gets better.

After the success of 4 gold and 2 silver medals at the 2002 World Cup finals, China recently announced the roster for the coming World Cup series. People who have been following Chinese gymnastics closely would know that this is very unusual, because China is famous for keeping the roster until the minute their gymnasts leave the country. The reason is very simply: the is the pre-Olympic year! The Chinese team has started its real competing season.

The first World Cup series will open in France on March 13, 2003.

World Cup Series--France, Germany

Men: Huang Xu, Xing Ao Wei, Liang Fu Liang

Women: Wang Tian Tian, Fan Ye, Li Ya

No event assignment is disclosed at this point. However, there is no doubt that Huang Xu will perform on his specialties--PB and SR; Huang typically does pommel horse very well so we may see him there. Xing Ao Wei, who has just recovered from a wrist injury, will likely perform on the pommel horse and the floor. Liang Fu Liang, a rookie at the 2002 Worlds, should compete on high bar and floor. On the women side, Wang's specilty is the vault. She does a DTY and a pike rudi. Both Fan Ye and Li Ya are excellent on beam and bars so it is good bet to see them on the traditional Chinese events.

World Cup Series--Greece

Men: Li De Zhi, Xiao Qin, Feng Jing

Women: Zhang Nan, Kang Xin, Yang Yun

Same as above--no event assignment is known at this point. On the men's side, no surprise if we see Xiao on the pommel and Feng on the parallel bars. Now, what is up with Yang Yun? From recent training pictures, she is in good shape. Let's just wish that no more injuries for this charming gymnast. Kang Xin will likely perform on bars and beam, while Zhang will do beam and floor. I would guess Yang will do vault and bars.

Where are the other top guns?

You may ask, where is Yang Wei and Li Xiao Peng? The former is the key all-arounder for the team and Li is never to be overlooked in event finals. Well, rumor has it that these two are training new vaults! Their coaches are probably keeping them home until the new skills are ready. Keep your fingers crossed! Lu Bin, the winner on vault at the World Cup, is currently focusing on increasing difficulties on different events. China has a history of sidelining specialists for more all-around gymnasts. Lu probably wants to stock more chips in his pocket for a ticket to the Olympics. We will see.

On the women's side, newly crowned World Cup champion Sun Xiao Jiao and the leg specialist Huang Jing are staying home. Sun is in the rehab condition. Huang is healing from a simply injurey.