Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

The 2009 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships are taking place right now in London, England (until October 18th). London's O2 arena is housing a total of 437 gymnasts from 72 delegations competing for medals in ten events, plus the men's and women's individual all-around medals. The championships at the O2 Arena are seen as a preview of 2012, when London will host the Olympic games, and the O2 will house both basketball and gymnastic events. Collected here are some photographs of training and qualifying rounds from this year, the 41st World Championships. (36 photos total)

A gymnast practices on the rings during a training session before the Artistic Gymnastic World Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 10, 2009. (REUTERS/ Eddie Keogh)

Hadas Koren of Israel leaps above the beam during the qualifying round of the Gymnastics World Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

Cyril Tomasone of France and Steven Legendre of United States compete in the O2 Arena on October 13, 2009 in London, England. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) #

Deng LinLin of China applies chalk to the beam during training at the O2 Arena, London, England on October 12, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Jonathan Horton of the U.S. performs his routine on the vault during the qualifying round of the World Gymnastic Championships in London, England on October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

China's Deng Linlin performs in the balance beam event at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 14, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Chen Yibing of China grips the rings during the qualification round of the World Gymnastic Championships in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

Canada's Charlotte Mackie spins above the uneven bars event during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 14, 2009. The competition runs until October 18. AFP PHOTO / Adrian Dennis (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Maxim Devyatovsky from Russia performs an Iron Cross during his routine on the rings during the qualifying round of the World Gymnastic Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

A gymnast trains (seen in a multiple-exposure photograph) at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 12, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Zhang Hongtao from China performs his routine on the pommel horse during the qualifying round of the the Gymnastics World Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

A gymnast grips the uneven bars while practicing her routine a day before the start of the World Gymnastic Championships, at the O2 Arena in London October 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

China's Deng Linlin prepares to perform on the uneven bars at the O2 Arena in London, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) #

A gymnast reaches for the parallel bars during the qualification round of the Gymnastics World Championships in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

Giuliana Bentivegna of Argentina competes on the beam in the qualification round of the Gymnastics World Championships in London October 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

Rebecca Wing of Britain performs her floor routine during Women's qualification for the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant ) #

Fabian Leimlehner from Austria performs his routine on the rings during the qualifying round of the the Gymnastics World Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

Hadas Koren of Israel, on the beam in London, England on October 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

A gymnast rubs chalk on his hands before performing his routine during the qualification round of the Gymnastics World Championships in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

China's Deng Linlin leaps during the balance beam event during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the 02 Arena, in London, on October 14, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Feng Zhe of China applies chalk to the parallel bars before his routine at the World Gymnastic Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Andrew Winning) #

Greek gymnast Vassilki Millussi trains ahead of the Gymnastics World Championships at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 12, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

France's Danny Pinheiro-Rodrigues performs in the rings event during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 13, 2009. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Russia's Ekaterina Kurbatova poses during the women's floor event at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 in London, England on October 14, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ivana Hong of the U.S. is watched by her coach Valeri Liukin as she performs on the beam during a training session for the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) #

Ukraine's Oleksandr Yakubovs'kyi tumbles during the men's floor event during the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at London's 02 Arena, on October 13, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Anna Serra of Spain and Valentyna Holenkova competes during the second day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at O2 Arena on October 14, 2009 in London, England. (Clive Rose/Getty Images) #

Marian Dragulescu of Romania launches from the vault during the qualification round of the Gymnastics World Championships in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville ) #

Yang Yilin of China leaps high above the beam during the qualifying round of the Gymnastics World Championships at the O2 Arena in London October 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Jerry Lampen) #

Brazil's Diego Hypolito performs his floor routine during men's qualifying for the World Gymnastics Championships at the O2 Arena in London, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) #

The feet of a gymnast atop the beam during a practice session for the World Gymnastics at the O2 arena in London, Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) #

US gymnast Jonathan Horton flies above the high bar at the 02 Arena, in east London, on October 13, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ekaterina Kurbatova of Russia jumps above the balance beam during the second day of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 at O2 Arena on October 14, 2009 in London, England. (Clive Rose/Getty Images) #

Kyoko Oshima of Japan, on the uneven bars in the qualification round of the Gymnastics World Championships in London October 14, 2009. (REUTERS/Toby Melville) #

Britain's Rebecca Wing celebrates after performing in the uneven bars event at the 02 Arena on October 14, 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Louis Smith of Britain lifts his arms after his routine on the pommel horse at the O2 Arena in London October 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Andrew Winning (BRITAIN SPORT GYMNASTICS) #

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