Perennial powerhouse China heads to Rio hoping to challenge the United States for gold in the team event. While taking down the favorites seems like an almost impossible task, China still enters the Olympics with a strong team, though injuries and ill health has left some question marks on this traditional power.

Past Success

China won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in front of their home crowd, but has been up and down since. They missed the podium completely in 2012, but seems to have rebound as they have won the silver medal in the past two World Championships. China is not only a tradition power in women's gymnastics, but they have been the United States' closest competitor this quad, outscoring teams like Russia and Great Britain in almost every competition.

The Concerns

Injuries have plagued this team, and depth is now a serious issue heading into Rio. China only has three beam workers, meaning their lowest score will count in qualifications. They are all tapped out on alternates, so one more injury would devastate this team. The team is also prone to mistakes - when they are at their best, they are as good as anyone, but they also tend to collapse when things start to go bad. 

Even more concerns popped up during podium training, when their best all-arounder Shang Chunsong had several errors across many events. Word was that Shang had been feeling ill for the past several days. If she does not get better and is unable to compete at her best, it could be a disaster for China. 

The Medal Chances

If Shang is healthy, she is China's best hope for an all-around medal. She has a real chance at finishing on the podium, with her strong floor and beam routines. She is not great on the vault, so she will need to nail a landing, even if the D score is relatively low.

Reigning bars world champion Fan Yilin is the favorite to win gold in Rio, as she has the highest D score of her closest rivals. She appears to have the most up side, and as long as she does well on her execution, she may very well be walking out of Rio with the gold on bars.

Shang is also a threat to medal on the floor, given her hig D score, but the floor may also be the most stacked even in Rio, with potentially a dozen gymnasts who could win a medal. 

The Team:

  • Fan Yilin
  • Mao Yi
  • Shang Chunsong
  • Tan Jaixin
  • Wang Yan

Prediction:

China could potentially leave Rio with four medals, depending on Shang Chunsong's health and consistency. They are the favorite to win the silver, but could easily finish off the podium. This could potentially be a crazy Olympics where the traditional powers come up a little short. They will, however, win one gold, with Fan Yilin winning on bars.