7/4/2004 » Olympics, Profiles

More on gymnasts Mohini Bhardwaj and Raj Bhavsar’s chances. Two spots on the six-member team representing the U.S. women’s gymnastics in the Olympics have already been locked down, while four of six are already confirmed on the men’s side.

As a vault specialist, Bhardwaj has a good shot at making a team which lacks depth in that event:

Bhardwaj excels on the vault, and is expected to make the team on that basis...You aren''''''''t supposed to be doing this at age 25, pulling your hair back in a skull-shrinking knot, enhancing your appearance with glitter, shimmying into a one-piece Superman suit that''''''''s tighter than the seal on a jar of grape jelly.

Media interest in her Rocky story as well as the Pamela Anderson angle may help her cause:

[M]ost of the experts I talked to in Anaheim agree that Bhardwaj is in... If Bhardwaj doesn''''''''t make the team, anybody holding a "Go Mo" sign at the Pond this weekend or named Al Trautwig will almost certainly demand an investigation. NBC''''''''s Trautwig repeatedly fawned over Anderson''''''''s interest in Bhardwaj -- or maybe it was just his blue-blooded American maleness getting the best of him...

Anderson has just augmented her endowment:

Anderson milled about, saying she "absolutely" will go to Athens if Bhardwaj makes the team, and that she just increased her financial support for Bhardwaj. "I auctioned a car," Anderson said.

Because of the new Olympic format, Bhavsar, who was ninth overall after the trials, has a better chance to make the team as a specialist on rings. In the team finals, only three gymnasts compete in each event, and all three scores count, limiting the room for error. Bhavsar’s 9.825 on the rings Saturday was the best score in the event at nationals and the trials.

Bhavsar transferred to Ohio State specifically to pursue the Olympics:

[H]e dropped out of his pre-medical course to pursue gymnastics full-time at Ohio State University. It’s the top college for gymnastics, and already has two members on the US team.

Surekha says her husband’s passion for rowing had given him a strong upper body, which Raj had inherited. ‘‘It is all due to my husband and his sporting background,’’ she says, adding, ‘‘He was keen that his sons shouldn’t be typical Asian nerds but be good in sports too.’’