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WOMEN
US team long shot for a repeat

Compiled by Globe Staff, 09/15/2000

WHEN: Sept. 19 (team), Sept. 21 (all-around), Sept. 24 (vault, uneven bars), Sept. 25 (beam, floor), Sept. 22 (trampoline), Sept. 30 (rhythmic).

US ENTRIES: Jamie Dantschzer, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Kristen Maloney, Jennifer Parilla, Elise Ray, Morgan White.

FAVORITES:

• Team: 1. Romania; 2. Russia; 3. Ukraine
• All-around: 1. Svetlana Khorkina, Russia; 2. Maria Olaru, Romania; 3. Simona Amanar, Romania
• Vault: 1. Amanar; 2. Yelena Zamolodchikova, Russia; 3. Trudy McIntosh, Australia
• Uneven bars: 1. Svetlana Khorkina, Russia; 2. Ling Jie, China; 3. Elise Ray, US
• Beam: 1. Ling; 2. Dong Fangziao, China; 3. Andreea Raducan, Romania;
• Floor: 1. Amanar; 2. Raducan; 3. Yelena Prodnuova, Russia
• Trampoline: 1. Irina Karavayeva, Russia; 2. Oksana Tsyguleva, Ukraine; 3. Anna Dogonadze-Lilkendey, Germany
• Rhythmic: 1. Alina Kabayeva, Russia; 2. Eva Serrano, France; 3. Yulia Raskina, Belgium.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Amy Chow and Dominique Dawes, among the Magnificent Seven who won the team gold in at the '96, Games, are back for another run up Olympus. But don't bet on Bela Karolyi's team stealing center stage again - especially now that his boldest athlete, Morgan White, has gone home with a stress fracture. The Russians, Chinese, and Romanians always enter the strongest women's squads. Elise Ray, crowned national champion in July, could emerge as the squad's young team leader. Just recently graduated high school, Ray has trained the last few years with Dawes and is especially strong on uneven bars. She and Chow, who went silver on bars in Atlanta, likely will stage a fierce competition on the bars. When the Trials wrapped up in Boston Ray was the champ, but Chow was getting stronger with every routine. There's plenty of room for Chow, with White gone home, to steal the show. Kristen Maloney, the national champ in '98 and '99, must be in top form for the U.S. to be a serious contender.

MEN
Wilson is again in underdog role

WHEN: Sept. 18 (team), Sept. 20 (all-around), Sept. 24 (floor, pommel horse, rings), Sept. 25 (vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar), Sept. 23 (trampoline).

US ENTRIES: Morgan Hamm, Paul Hamm, Stephen McCain, John Roethlisberger, Sean Townsend, Blaine Wilson

FAVORITES: Team: 1. Russia; 2. China; 3. Japan

• All-around: 1. Ivan Ivankov, Belarus; 2. Naoya Tsukahara, Japan; 3. Blaine Wilson, US
• Floor: 1. Li Xiaopeng, China; 2. Alexi Nemov, Russia; 3. Gervasio Deferr, Spain
• Pommel horse: 1. Marius Urzica, Romania; 2. Xing Aowei, China; 3. Eric Poujade, France
• Rings: 1. Wilson; 2. Doug Zhen, China; 3. Szilveszter Csollany, Hungary;
• Vault: 1. Xiaopeng; 2. Marian Dragulescu, Romania; 3. Ioan Suciu, Romania
• Parallel bars: 1. Xiaopeng; 2. Mitja Petkovsek, Slovenia; 3. Ivankov;
• Horizontal bar: 1. Alexander Beresch, Ukraine; 2. Ivankov; 3. Dragulescu;
• Trampoline: 1. Alexander Moskalenko, Russia; 2. Dmitri Poliarush, Belarus; 3. David Martin, France.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The US doesn't get a lot of respect. ``We're always the underdog,'' said Blaine Wilson, star of the men's squad. Wilson, 26 and competing in his secong Games, is America's best chance to bring home a medal - what would be their first medal since Trent Dimas went gold on the high bar in Barcelona ('92). Wilson, who won the Nationals for a fifth consecutive time in St. Louis in July, is especially strong on rings. China and Russia will present the stiffest competition in a very strong field. To make matters worse for the US, Steve McCain and Sean Townsend are not at full strength. McCain hurt his ankle in San Diego and Townsend is battling strep throat.