25th UNIVERSIADE Belgrade 2009

Artistic Gymnastics competitions
start Thursday, July 2

A young Chinese team to Universiade in Serbia
The Chinese Media agency Xinhua reported, that the most of the young Chinese delegation will make their first appearance at the 25th World University Games in Serbia. About 80 percent of the Chinese athletes have no experience of competing at major international events. The Chinese delegation was set up Friday in Beijing. A total of 438 members will compete in all the 15 events featured at the Universiade, including track and field, swimming, water polo, diving, basketball, soccer, volleyball, fencing, tennis, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, table tennis, archery and taekwondo.

SCHEDULE, Artistic Gymnastics

ZHOU, Zhuoru, best of all-around at the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok

China won 33 gold medals and 87 medals in total at the Bangkok Universiade in 2007.
China expected much fewer medals to be won at Serbia., because,the most of the best athletes have to prepare for the National Games in October and they have no time to compete at the Universiade.

The Chinese women's artistic gymnastic team will be spearheaded by world gymnastics champion Chen Fei.

Winner of the 2007 Universiade all-round competition was Zhou Zhuoru, who was one year before member of the Chinese gold team at the 2006 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.

** Friday, June 12
Beth Tweddle amongst British University Team
British Olympian Beth Tweddle is one of ten gymnasts selected to represent Great Britain in gymnastics at the World University Games (WUGs) this year in Belgrade, Serbia from July 01 - 12.
Tweddle, Great Britain’s most decorated gymnast, is already familiar with WUGs as she brought home a gold and two bronze medals from the Games in Izmir in 2005.
Studying Health Studies at University of Liverpool, the 24-year old is looking to use the multi-sport event as preparation for the World Championships in London in October.

Beth Tweddle at tne Universiade ...

Tweddle said: “Every event prepares you for another event, it gives you the experience of competing in different environments, allowing you to experience all the distractions and find out how best to focus on your event and not allow them to put you off.”
Tweddle is part of a 10-strong mixed squad, including Commonwealth Games athletes Olivia Bryl (University of Wales, Cardiff) and Rob Payne (Loughborough College).
They will be joined by Leeds Metropolitan University graduates Steven Jehu and Tom Rawlinson.
Both represented GBR at the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok and will be looking to make it onto the medal table this time round.
The gymnastics team has over 150 years of experience between them.

Loughborough graduate, Tim Sanders and Manchester Geography student, Nina Dearman both took up the sport aged six.
All athletes will be travelling to Belgrade with international experience and a majority of the gymnasts already hold Welsh, English or British Championship titles.
Matthew Greenwood, Performance Director at British Gymnastics said: "We are delighted that such a strong squad of elite gymnasts will be representing Great Britain.
The gymnasts selected will certainly be striving for medals and their great depth of experience should help them to achieve their goals in Belgrade. The strength of the British team reflects the importance of further and higher education to the development of the entire gymnastics talent pathway."
The men's artistic gymnastics coach will be Gheorghue Predescu.
on women's side Colin Still.
* Source: British Gymnastics

2009 PARTICIPANTS
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Altogether 187 gymnasts, representing 37 different nations take part at the artistic gymnastics events.

> Men's participants > Women's participants