U.S. women the team to beat in gymnastics

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Having made history at the 2007 World Gymnastics Championships, the United States women now find themselves in the unusual position as the team to beat at the Beijing Olympics."I guess we kind of earned that," said Nastia Liukin, who won gold medals in the balance beam at the past two World Championships. "I think it adds a little more pressure, knowing that everyone is trying to beat us, but we're also working five times harder to maintain that status and come out of Beijing with the gold."The 2007 World Championship title in Stuttgart, Germany was only the third ever for an American women's team in major international competition, but it was the first ever won outside the United States.And with Shawn Johnson winning gold in the all-around, it was the first time the U.S. won both the team and individual all-around titles.In 2004, Carly Patterson became the second American to win an Olympic gold medal in all-around, repeating what Mary Lou Retton did 20 years earlier. But neither of their teams won the gold medal."Coming out of the worlds as the No. 1 team, we definitely do feel more confident and excited to defend our title, but it makes the competition that much more exciting and adds just a little more pressure," Johnson said.Only two other U.S. teams have won gold medals in international competition, at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif. and at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The Americans won silver four years ago in Athens.Johnson -- a 16-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa -- and Liukin -- an 18-year-old from Parker, Texas -- will head the team, which also includes Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Alicia Sacramone and Bridget Sloan.Sacramone and Peszek were members of the world championship team. Sacramone won silver in floor exercise and bronze in vault in Stuttgart."I'd say we are the strongest team out there and probably in history," said Johnson, who also won gold in floor exercise at the world championships. "We've got the strongest girls ever on every event and every all-around and possible competition. So I really think in Beijing it will be probably the best competition ever just because we're all pushing each other to get to the highest level possible."Although Romania has won back-to-back Olympic gold medals, China is considered the toughest competitor for the U.S. this year.The Chinese won the world championship in 2006 and were second to the U.S. last year in the team competition, but won one more medal than the Americans.Liukin -- who was fifth in the all-around plus won a gold on the beam and a silver on the uneven bars at the world championships -- said being the host team could be an advantage or disadvantage for China."You know that there are 20,000 people just in the arena, and you're fighting for your country to get that gold medal. That kind of pressure could hurt them, but at the same time, it definitely can help," she explained.(Nick Gholson writes for the Wichita Falls Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas. He can be reached at gholsonn(at)timesrecordnews.com.)