10. April 2008  
Cottbus / Germany  
Artistic Gymnastics

one day before: American men in a threesome

Kai Wen (Kevin) TAN (USA)

The US gymnasts are coming without their Olympic Champion Paul Hamm, but still in a threesome to the pre-Olympic World Cup event in Cottbus:
Guillermo Alvarez, Sean Golden and KevinTan, all of them of the WORLDS team in Stuttgart who still remember their displacment to the fourth position by the German squad...!

Especially Kevin TAN is aiming at a revenge facing van Gelder and Jovtshev, who displaced him tp the fourth positions in the WORLDS rings final  ...
Surprisingly, the Swiss gymnasts are not participating at all in the WORLDS-year and the US girls are rarely participating, too.

Victor Cano (ESP) - Expert on horse for the allrounder

Rafael Martinez de-registered as well, instead of him Victor CANO will be there - who is not bad at all either!
As for the Belorussians, the old international "warhorse" Dmitri Sawitzky will be replaced by young Ihar Kazlou...

Denmark registered belatedly and will come with a men's team of four, among others with Helge Vammen as best Danish gymnast in the all around competition (77th) of the last WORLDS in Stuttgart, so that the registrations comprise a total of 41 countries and 117 athletes one day before the qualification (from Friday 1pm on).

Lichelle WONG (NED)

As for the women the starting field is, as mostly, much smaller:
Until today, 57 young ladies from 24 countries have registered. 
Belgium retreated completely, while the Netherlands registered belatedly and will participate with Lichelle  WONG, EuCh finalist on uneven bars of 2007, with Sanne WEVERS and junior gymnast Tahnee MASELA.  All of them just participated in the European Championships in Clermont-Ferrand, ranking only 8th in the team finals, but surprised with a bronze medal in the juniors' competitions and four positions in the finals. 

Together with Oksana TSCHUSSOWITINA and Katja ABEL, EuCh-starter Jenny BRUNNER from Chemnitz will still participate to Cottbus for the German host.

*- GYMmedia summarizes the course of the qualifications on Friday in the evening.