WEDNESDAY: PODIUM DAY TWO - Russian girls in good form...

On the first day of the podium training of the women, the German hostesses were able to test the apparatus early on, in Group 3, along with the Ukraine and two mixed teams.
The Chinese team was allotted an even more awkward slot in Group 1 (10 am), with the Italian team following just after in Group 2 (11.45 am).
Rumania on the other hand is ending the first day of training in Group 4 at about 6 pm and the 2004 Olympic champion Catalina PONOR seems to bee in a very good form...
... on Wednesday the women's podium training finished with the second day...

* Tuesday, August- 28.:
1st Day, PODIUM TRAINING, WOMEN
First impression at the location, confirmed by the officials of the world association FIG: All preparations were completed in time, the competition hall as well as the training rooms are in a superb condition, both technically and to look at. The Stuttgart organizers thus prove their considerable experience of preparing such events.
But there are also some "new" problems in organization, caused by "new" F.I.G regulations...
- The Chinese gymnasts showed their best technical performance ever... however we will have to wait and see whether the delicate little ladies can stand up to competition conditions!
China only brought three members of the team that won gold last year, leaving Zhang Nan and Zhou Zhuoru behind. Another veteran, Li Ya, is hurt. In their place are three 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old.

- Vanessa FERRARI, the Italian all-round world champion, seems to have an inspirational effect on the performance of the whole team - they seem, relaxed, easy-going, even a little coltish - hopefully this wont lead to mistakes in the competition!

 ... and a very impressive Catalina Ponor!
Rumania in the last group Tuesday's evening, presented stable programmes, not only by their mainstays IZBASA and NISTOR:
Catalina PONOR is not just a former star with ambitions of making a comeback and becoming a leading gymnast once again; she has grown taller and maturer, but is in excellent condition figurewise and athletically - not only her beam performance was convincing, so were her performances on vault and floor. We look forward to the new Catalina PONOR of 2007 - particularly seeing she had announced her withdrawal at the ECh in Volos in 2006 !
Romania's Ana Maria Tamârjan will miss after fracturing her leg in today's podium training (uneven bars: ...she crashed and hit her knee to her mouth; so alternate Andreea Grigore will now take Tamârjan's place in the Romanians lineup.
* Podium Notes for GYMmedia:
   Dieter Hofmann (SUI)

- Russia seems to have got over the problems it was going through at the last ECh in Amsterdam. In total, this former leading nation seems to be on the up again and Elena Zamolodshikova also seem to be better trained than at many competitions in the run up to the WCh.
The 25-year-old Zamolodchikova, a double Olympic gold medalist, has 10 years on the youngest member of Russia's team, largely rebuilt from the squad that won the bronze medal at last year's worlds.
Ksenia SEMENOVA is the youngest at 15, but Russia also brought its junior champion Daria EELIZAROVA, and 16-year-old Ekaterina KRAMARENKO.
The superb acrobatic performances on the floor were particularly striking. Just two or three years ago the combination of a 2 1/2 backward twist with a stretched forward somersault was a rarity, this time the Russians are performing the second element with an additional 1/1 or even 1 1/2 turn!
While part of Russia's youth movement is out of necessity -veteran Anna PAVLOVA is injured  - it's also a way to see which athletes will be able to handle the pressure at next year's Beijing Olympics.

- USA - without  Jana Bieger and without Memmel - presented a better performance than was to be anticipated from the list of names. Nastia LIUKIN performed on all four pieces of apparatus. The newly crowned US all-round champion Shawn JOHNSON excelled, showing, for instance perfect acrobatics on floor,
(1) Double Tsukahara... (2)  Handspring, stretched forward salto with a double twist - directly followed by a stretched salto forward with a 11/2 twist. SACRAMONE, whose athletic figure is reminiscent of Memmel showed following elements on vault
(1) handspring,  forward stretched salto with 1 1/2 twist and
(2) Yurchenko with double twist - both executed perfectly. It will be difficult for her competitors to best this!

After the end of the podium rotations zapproximately the following groupings in the standard of performance emerge:
- the quartett China, USA, Rumania and Russia will be fighting for the medals;
....behind them come following trios: 
- Ukraine, Italy, Australia and then
- Japan, North Korea and Great Britain as the Top Ten who will be vying for the team finals.
There will however be a struggle for the eleventh and twelth place as anticipated, as at least four nations appear to have the right potential: