Olympics 2012 Gymnastics Schedule -- Women's Competition Starts July 29

Day two coverage of the 2012 London Olympics will give viewers a long-awaited first look at the women's artistic gymnastics teams from around the globe, according to the official schedule of events. The ladies of Team USA will take part in the all-important Qualification round on July 29, which will determine not only the eight teams that will go on to compete for Team gold, but also the gymnasts who will vie for the individual all-around and apparatus medals.

The girls of Team USA, including reigning World Champion Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and team captain Aly Raisman, will compete during Subdivision 3, with online streaming coverage set to begin at 6:40 AM PT via NBCOlympics.com. The five talented women will compete alongside rival teams from China and Russia, who are both assigned to the concurrently performing Subdivision 4, in floor exercise, vault, uneven bars, and balance beam.

Team USA enters the London Games the favorite for several gold medals, including the team, all-around and vault. Although Douglas bested Wieber at the Olympic Trials, both ladies are extraordinarily strong performers with exceptional talent, and either could take the top spot. As the reigning World Champion in vault, Maroney is the easy choice to take the gold. But she's not entering the competition in perfect form; she'll be competing with a broken toe.

In terms of the team competition, the USA could—and arguably, should—earn the gold. Although China took the gold at the 2008 Games, their 2012 squad is filled with aging gymnasts who may or may not have enough left in the tank to outperform younger counterparts from other nations. A painful heel injury to Romanian star Larisa Iordache will likely limit her participation in the Games, and the loss will have a devastating effect on her team's overall chances. Team Russia, which includes the talented duo of Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova, is probably the biggest competition for the top spot.

Stay tuned for the July 29 debut of women's gymnastics action from the 2012 Olympics.

Join the Conversation	You are following this conversation | stop following follow this conversation by email