All eyes are on them to see if they can win the team title today at the National Indoor Stadium, but the Chinese male gymnasts are oblivious to all and just focused on putting up a good show.
"We have been living in the Olympic Village quietly and don't know much about what is going on outside," said all-around world champion Yang Wei.
"We're just concentrating on ourselves."
Li Xiaopeng leaps during his floor routine. He is a member of the Chinese men's team that is favorite for gold today. [Kenneth Jarecke/contact press images] |
China is tipped to win the men's team title after topping Saturday's qualification and beating second-placed Japan by more than five points.
"The Chinese are too strong and the only opportunity for us is to wait for them to make a mistake," said Japanese head coach Koji Gushiken.
On Saturday, China qualified first in the team event, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and individual all-around event. The host country leads a strong field -- it qualified first on 374.675 points, surpassing Japan's 369.55 points, Russia's 366.225 points and South Korea's 365.675 points.
The Chinese also earned top places in the pommel horse, rings and parallel bars, with Yang finishing first in all-around.
"We performed better than normal today," said Yang after the team's qualification. "Although we made some small mistakes, we did a great job in general. We are competing at the right time and right place, with support from people all over the country.
When asked to comment on the last-minute withdrawal of American Paul Hamm, who beat him to win the men's all-around title at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2005 World Championships, Yang shrugged.
"We have not given much thought to the others.
"The whole team was in good form today and we are very united," said Li Xiaopeng, the veteran who helped China win the team title at the 2000 Sydney Games but had been sidelined for a few years following the Athens Games due to injury.
"I believe our current condition will last into the final."
China played it safe in Saturday's qualification as most of its gymnasts did not put on their most difficult routine.
Besides securing a place in the team final, the Chinese were hoping to qualify for as many individual apparatus finals as possible.
"We had a very good start today and I'm very satisfied with it," said Gao Jian, director of China's Gymnastics Administrative Center. "At the same time, the team did not miss any opportunity to reach the individual finals, which are also medal possibilities for China."
Support from the home crowd also powered them ahead.
"The atmosphere is great when everybody cheers for you. I've never experienced that before," said Chen Yibing, who was the first to compete for China.
The stellar performance leaves the Chinese men on track to make up for a disappointing display in Athens, where they failed to defend their Olympic team title and finished fifth.
Japan is the closest rival after China as it is ranked second in the top five in the all-around.
For the rest in the field, it is the bronze medal.
"China and Japan will fight for gold and silver, and it is up to the rest of us to fight for a bronze," said Germany's Fabian Hambuechen, who finished second behind Yang in the all-around qualifier.
The eight-team final starts from today with an intense format in which three gymnasts are scored on each of the six apparatus. All the scores count, so any mistake would mean disaster.