London 2009 is finally here! This Tuesday, the men will start things off with their qualification round. The top 24 men in the All-Around will advance, as well as the top 8 in each event. Here are some things you should look for this week in London.

Men's All-Around
2008 Olympic Champ: Yang Wei (China)
2007 World Champ: Yang Wei (China)

With the retirement of Yang Wei, the obvious front-runner is Kohei Uchimura of Japan. Even Jonathan Horton regards him as the best gymnast in the World right now. That's not to say the ever-competitive Horton won't give him a run for his money. Uchimura, Fabian Hambuchen, and Horton are the most likely AA medal contenders. However, word is that Hambuchen injured his ankle today in podium training, so his All-Around status is questionable. We'll keep you updated. Daniel Keatings will be the local favorite. If he hits he could maybe, just maybe please the home crowd with a medal. Benoit Caranobe (France) is listed as doing all-around. He was a surprise bronze medalist in the Beijing All-Around last year. At age 29 he'll be one of the older guys in the All-Around field. Others to look for: Maxim Devyatovskiy and Yuri Ryazanov, the current Russian Champion, Kazuhito Tanaka (Japan). The second All-Arounder for the Americans is Tim McNeill. Tim has showed a lot of promise as an all-arounder in the past year, and Tim has a good shot at breaking top ten if he hits. On the official list, China does not have a single guy listed for All-Around competition, which seems odd.

Floor
2008 Olympic Champ: Zou Kai
2007 World Champ: Diego Hypolito

Both reigning Champion Diego Hypolito and Olympic Champion Zou Kai will be competing, and both have legit shots at another FX gold. Steven Legendre is also in medal contention here. His massive 16.90 start value is rumored to be the highest in the competition. The key for Steve will be staying in bounds with clean landings. 40x40 sometimes just isn't big enough for Steve's tumbling!

Fabian Hambuchen is also great on floor, but again with the ankle injury, floor is likely out of the question. Eleftherios Kosmidis (Greece) could sneak in there. Would be great for Greek gymnastics! Others to look for: Olympic FX finalist Alexander Shatilov (Israel), and Marian Dragulescu (Romania), recently back form retirement.

Here is Zou Kai's new 6.8 SV routine from Chinese Nationals in August:

Pommel
2008 Olympic Champ: Xiao Qin (China)
2007 World Champ: Xiao Qin (China)

A couple months ago, we saw a video of Chinese pommel darkhorse Zhang Hongtao. This guy has been in the shadow of reigning Champion Xiao Qin for years now. He hasn't had the opportunity to compete for a World pommel medal since 2005, and with the depth of the 2008 Chinese team and Qin being the reigning World Champion on pommels, Hongtao was left off the Olympic team. But now, finally, Hongtao may be the one to beat at Worlds. Check out his 7.0 SV routine:

And of course, we can't forget the local boy, Louis Smith, the bronze medalist in Beijing. His teammate Daniel Keatings is great on pommels as well. The Beijing silver medalist, Filip Ude of Croatia, will also be in the house. The American's best shot in a pommel medal comes from Tim McNeill. With the absence of Artemev, this is Tim's time to shine on his best event. Others to look for include Koki Sakamoto of Japan, and Aussie pommel king Prashanth Sellathurai.

Rings
2008 Olympic Champ: Chen Yibing (China)
2007 World Champ: Chen Yibing (China)

Coming in as the reigning Olympic and World Champion, being only 24 years old and still in great shape, I'd put money on Yibing. But guess who is STILL competing? Jordan Jovtchev! I thought for sure he was retired with becoming the President of the Federation and all. I guess he just can't get enough. If he's still strong enough at that age, more power to him. Can't wait to see what he pulls out in London. Others to look for on rings: Alexander Vorobyov (Ukraine), Danny Rodrigues (France). Remember that Yuri Van Gelder will be absent due to testing positive for cocaine use in June. Say no to drugs, kids.

Vault
2008 Olympic Champ: Leszek Blanik (Poland)
2007 World Champ: Leszek Blanik (Poland)

With the retirement of Blanik, it'll give some other vaulters a chance at gold, namely Thomas Bouhail (France). If you remember, he tied Blanik last year in Beijing but lost the gold in the evil tie-breaker. Word is, Bouhail plans to compete two 7.0 SV vaults in London: a dragulescu, and a tsuk doulbe pike. But, don't count out the Korean vault trickster, Ri Se Gwang. Remember this video?:

Yeah. That guy. Don't believe he's competing this vault at Worlds, because he too has two 7.0 SV vaults under his belt. Then don't count out Dragulescu who has recently come out of retirement since a disappointing event final in Beijing, and he looks to be in great form. Check out his recent vault at Romanian Nationals.

P Bars
2008 Olympic Champ: Li Xiaopeng (China)
2007 World Champ: Mitja Petkovsek (Slovenia), and Kim Dae Eun (Korea)

Olympic Champ Li Xiaopeng has retired, so has Kim Dae Eun. Yann Cucherat of France is looking good here in coming off a recent P Bar title at the European Championships. Others to look for are reigning Champ Mitja Petkovsek, Feng Zhe (China), and Kim Jin Hyok (Korea). The Americans have a shot at qualifying two to the event final here. Danell Leyva, Tim McNeill, or even Horton could qualify.

Here is Feng Zhe at the recent Chinese Games,

High Bar
2008 Olympic Champ: Zou Kai (China)
2007 World Champ: Fabian Hambuchen (Germany)

This is the event I am most excited about! And it's not just because I am a typical high bar-loving girl, but I think this is the final with the most depth. Even on the American team, 2009 US Co-Champions Jonathan Horton and Danell Leyva could both earn medals on high bar. But, it won't be easy. They'll have to face Olympic High Bar Champion Zou Kai, Beijing bronze medalist and regingin World Champ Fabian Hambuchen, '01 and '02 World Champ, Vlasios Maras (Greece), and Beijing HB finalists Epke Zonderland (Netherlands), Igor Cassina (Italy), and Yann Cucherat. Horton confirmed in this interview that he plans to do his easier routine that earned him the US title in Dallas in the qualification round in London, then go for the harder routine in the final. This upgraded routine will include his Cassina. This will be the first World Championships for 17-year-old Danell Leyva. Here is the exciting routine that tied him with Horton for the gold at US Championships in August.