10 Olympic Storylines to Follow: Part 3

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08.08.08

Can you believe it? After four years of counting down to Beijing, the Games are almost here! Get your “boss button” ready on your computer to pop up that spreadsheet when you need to divert from the online coverage on InsideGymnastics.com, stock up on popcorn for the primetime coverage on NBC, and start exercising those fingers for all the posts you’re planning for the message boards and blogs during the weeks that are the 2008 Olympic Games!

As you count down these final days, here’s a look at some of the Beijing Basics as well as our picks for some of the top storylines to follow during what are sure to be some of the most memorable gymnastics moments in the history of the sport (read on to find out just why that is).

3. The Weight of a Nation – China has long been defined by two distinctive qualities: the unparalleled overall quality of their technically precise gymnastics and their habitual inconsistency. For years, China has been working to peak in time for August 2008. They no doubt have the start values and artistic prowess to be gold-medal contenders in Beijing. As of late, they appear to have conquered their previous inconsistencies. But how will they handle the pressure of a nation with a population of more than one billion placing its hopes, dreams and expectations on the shoulders of teens and twenty-somethings?