Olympic Gymnastics TV Schedule: When and Where to Catch Opening Weekend Action

Here we are, with the 2012 London Olympics less than a week away, and both the men's and women's gymnastics figure to provide more than a few thrills this year.

The U.S. fields a strong men's and women's team this season, with the men's team drawing comparisons to the 1984 gold medal team.

Here's a look at the world's top stars gunning for the all-around titles this year, beginning with the TV schedule for the opening weekend.

July 28: 8 p.m. - 12 a.m., NBC: Men's qualifications 
 

July 29: 7 p.m. - 12 a.m., NBC: Women's qualifications 

 

STARS TO WATCH

Women's

Gabrielle Douglas, U.S.

Gabrielle Douglas should be the favorite for the women's all-around gold medal this year. She outperformed her teammate and reigning world champion Jordyn Wieber through four rounds of competition at the U.S. National Championships and Olympics trials.

Douglas has the grace and flexibility to impress the judges on the balance beam and uneven bars, and the power game to light up the floor exercise competition.  

 

Jordyn Wieber, U.S.

Don't count Jordyn Wieber out, of course. She was not only the reigning world champion this year, but she won the all-around gold medal in the Visa Championships and the American Cup. She certainly has the ability to push past Douglas. Either way, it's hard to see the women's U.S. team losing in London. 

 

Viktoria Komova, Russia

Viktoria Komova won the gold medal in the uneven bars in the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 European Championships. With teammate Aliya Mustafina apparently not the same after tearing a knee ligament in April 2011, Komova is undoubtedly going to be asked to step up for Russia.

 

Men's

Kohei Uchimura, Japan

Kohei Uchimura is the consensus favorite this year. Given that he won two gold medals at the 2011 World Championships (all-around and floor exercise), as well as the all-around silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it's no wonder why.

U.S. veteran Jonathan Horton noted, via the Los Angeles Times, "To beat Kohei will be tough. I like our guys, [Danell] Leyva and [John] Orozco, but you have to be pretty perfect to get close to Kohei."

 

Danell Leyva, U.S.

Speaking of Danell Leyva...

Leyva is only 20 years old, but he was the Unites States' all-around gold medalist in 2011, and won a gold medal in the parallel bars at the 2011 World Championships. This year, he won gold medals in the parallel bars and horizontal bar at the U.S. Visa National Championships. 

 

Phillip Boy, Germany

Last but not least, we have Phillip Boy of Germany. 

Boy, 25, won the all-around gold medal in the 2010 and 2011 European Championships as well as a silver medal in the 2011 World Championships, and is one of the brightest stars in Europe. 

 

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