US ready for battle despite Liukin setback

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) With world champions Chellsie Memmel and Nastia Liukin ready to tumble their way back to gold medals, the American gymnastics team thought they were in an enviable position.

Less than a fortnight before this week's start of the world championships in Aarhus, Denmark, however, Liukin handed the United States' rivals a glimmer of hope when she sprained her ankle in training.

Even though the injury has severely affected Liukin's landing ability, US women's national team coordinator Marta Karolyi decided to take a gamble on the double world champion's fitness and named her in a seven-member squad.

''We selected her to the team as we expect her to be there for at least one event,'' Karolyi said during a teleconference ahead of the championships, which start on Friday.

''That's very important for the team result.'' As the 16-year-old Liukin won four medals, including two golds, on her world championships debut in Melbourne last year, few were prepared to criticise Karolyi for being reluctant to leave behind her top gymnast.

BARS ROUTINE The daughter of 1988 Russian Olympic champion Valeri Liukin, Nastia is prepared to risk her injury on the asymmetric bars, although she admitted her appearance might be limited to the team competition.

''I was a little disappointed but I'm still here on the team and I'm really excited to contribute,'' Liukin, twice US national all-round champion, said.

''The competition is still days away and every day it's been getting better so we'll see how it goes but making it to the team competition is the first priority,'' she told Reuters.

Last year at the worlds, Liukin trailed Memmel by just .001 points in the all-round competition as the duo started a run of success in which American women enjoyed a 1-2 finish in four out of the five titles up for grabs.

While Liukin faces a race against time to get fit, world floor champion Alicia Sacramone, Jana Bieger, Jacquelyn Johnson, Natasha Kelley and Ashley Priess will join Memmel in the quest to earn favourites the U.S. their second world team title.

CHINESE CHALLENGE With the Romanians and Russians going through major rebuilding, the US's main challenge could come from the Chinese who are determined to prove themselves in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The American men are a lesser-known quantity in the post Paul Hamm era and will be led by national all-round champion Sasha Artemev.

They drew a blank in Melbourne last year and men's national team coordinator Ron Brant admitted that his charges were struggling to adjust to the new accumulative points judging format that was introduced to the sport this year and will make its world championships debut in Aarhus.

Reuters AY GC0956