The male gymnasts from China swear vying with their Japanese peers for the gold of the team event at the upcoming Rio Olympic Games.
As the two-time defending Olympic champion, the Chinese team seems less competitive than the Japanese squad after failing to collect the world title for a consecutive seventh time last year. China finished third in the team event at the 2015 World Championships while Kohei Uchimura led Japan to their first world team gold in 37 years.
However, the Chinese team won't agree the opinion saying that Japan is stronger. "Although we only have one Olympic champion in this squad and the other gymnasts are relatively unfamous, we are not weaker than the Japanese team, "said Ye Zhennan, China's team manager.
"Our gymnasts have improved a lot in the all-around event and our team has the higher difficulty scores," added Ye earlier this month in Beijing. "But the Japanese team always has better execution scores. So let's see at Rio."
China's Olympic rookie Lin Chaopan is not only eager to make all his efforts for the team event, but also keen to challenge the "all-around king" Uchimura at Rio.
Uchimura, 27, is the odds-on favorite to clinch the all-around title at Rio, as the defending Olympic champion has dominated the world competition for seven straight years with six consecutive all-around world titles.
The 20-year-old Lin was crowned as the all-around national champion this May, edging Deng Shudi, the bronze medalist at last year's World Championships with a margin of 0.2 points.
Besides, the Chinese gymnasts Liu Yang and You Hao are outstanding in the rings and the parallel bars, while Japan's Kenzo Shirai might shock the audience in the floor event with his incredible ability to twist through the air.
In the women's competition, the U.S. team is unparalleled especially with their star gymnast Simon Biles.
The 19-year-old Biles, whose 10 world gold medals are a record in women's gymnastics, could be hardly challenged in the all-around event as she has won the world champion title three years in a row. She is also competitive in the balance beam, the floor exercise and the vault.
The Chinese women won the team title at the 2008 Olympic Games and placed fourth in 2012. This time, a young squad has came to Rio with all the girls preparing for their first Olympic Games.
