Change of plans

Jana Bieger, Ivana Hong and Corrie Lothrop, the three alternates on the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team, will train for the Beijing Games in Japan instead of in Tianjin, China, which was the original plan.

USA gymnastics president Steve Penny said that the change is being driven by visa issues. Alternates aren't issued the same credentials as participating athletes. The athlete credential also serves as a visa, Penny said, but alternates must apply for a regular tourist visa.

Men's alternates -- David Durante, Alexander Artemev and Raj Bhavsar -- have received their tourist visas, but U.S. women's team coordinator Martha Karolyi said that continuing visa difficulties for the women forced the move to the training camp in Japan.

"It would be more convenient to be in China," Karolyi said. "But we were told (we) just might not be able to train in China, so I said, 'Why don't we just go to Japan?' "

The Olympic team of Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone, Samantha Peszek, Chellsie Memmel and Bridget Sloan, along with the alternates, will return to the Karolyi ranch on Thursday afternoon to train together. On July 30 they all will fly to San Jose, where they will go through processing. They will leave for Asia on July 31.

Penny said that the men and women made separate arrangements for training venues. He said Chinese gymnastics federation controls the Tianjin facility and that may have complicated the visa issue.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Bridget Sloan competes in the vault during a gymnastics meet on June 4 in Boston. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

Comments

[Alex Masuerte]

I can not help but think that we are dealing with communists here. If they have their way, they will disqualify the US because we are their main rival.

That's red China showing her true colors.

[becca]

The US men's team is no threat to the Chinese men, so they are letting the US men train in Beijing at one of their national sites I believe too.

But as for the US women and the Chinese will be engaged in a fierce battle, so I guess they aren't being too hospitable. It could also be that the Chinese gymnastics federation is responding to some of Bela Karoyli's words. Like the "Baby teeth" comment, with well this response. They also may want the US team no where one of their training centers, where they can watch some of their younger gymnasts train.

[rebecca]

Reports are tha real reason is that the USA women's team didn't apply for Visas soon enough. There was a deadline, that the USA team didn't meet. You can't get a tourist visa into China in two weeks. They should have applied earlier.

[Christina]

The mens alternates had no problem getting their visas, yet the women do have problems. The US mens team this year isn't a threat for the team gold medal but the US Women are. I expect that this will be just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to bad sportsmanship from China at these games.

[uhhhh]

They selected the US womens' team less than a week ago. Of course the alternates don't have tourist visas yet! The mens' team was selected a month ago giving them ample time to apply for visas for their alternates. Did Marta expect China to hand deliver tourist visas when she FINALLY made up her mind as to who would make the womens' team?