Read Perfect 10 – Part-I here.

Moving the clock all the way forward to current times, the performances from last two Olympics in Sydney and in Athens left a lot to be desired in the end… the 9.6s and 9.7 scores, the never perfect finishes, the fall offs and all looked all too not so Olympics like…Carly Patterson in 2004, the US gymnast with all around individual gold medal did create some stirs but nothing that was a fairy tale.

Now a quick glimpse of 2008 lineup in Beijing creates excitement and even chances of some class artistry to be seen

Shawn Johnson USA… Can she be the next Mary Lou? Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, Iowa became the 2007 all around world champion at age 15. Today at age 16 she is arguably the best female gymnast in the world.

Shawn is teamed up with 2007 team and balance beam world champion Nastia Liukin of Texas.

Liukin is a four times World Champion, nine time World medalist. In 2005 she was also named the Gymnast of the Year by the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was a nominee in both the World Top 10 Athletes Award and the US Sport’s Academy Athlete of the Year Award. In 2007 she joined 1996 Olympic Champion Shannon Miller as the most decorated American gymnast in World Championship competition with nine World Championships medals, seven of them individual.

(Shanoon Miller remains the last big name, the winner of a combined total of 16 World Championships and Olympic medals between 1991 and 1996, Miller ranks as the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in U.S. history.

Romania the defending Olympic champions who won the European championship as well this year, have stakes too big in the equation…

For them either Sandara Izbasa or Stela Nistor could steal the gold right under the uneven bars of US hopes

Vannesa Ferraroi of Italy is the highest hope for an Italian gold in this Olympics. She burst into international scene winning all around gold at world championship in 2006. Vanessa has continued her dominance in 2007, winning gold in the all-around and on floor at the European Championships in Amsterdam.

Anna Pavlova of Russia who many thought deserved a medal in 2004 Athens but was denied in scoring errors is another one to watch…

Do any of these class acts have what it takes to take the gold home? This is the Olympics… this is bigger then all what they have achieved. Olympics are about style, class, dreams, about passion and the thrill of victory but above all winning gold here is about perfection….this is where to be the second best one must persevere and endure or else it’s a heartache..

I will leave you with a Ekateria Szabo Gymnastics Montage video…. Remember Szabo was the one Mary Lou edged out in LA 1984 scoring a perfect 10 not on style but ‘perfection’

Let the games begin!