What people are talking about in the Olympic world

1) U.S. Women's Gymnasts

	The U.S. women dominated the World Gymnastic Championships behind Nastia Liukin (left) and Chellsie Memmel. AP
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Their Romanian-like domination at the world championships in Australia was remarkable in many ways. Not only did they win an American-record nine medals, but they also went one-two in four events, including the all-around. And that was without reigning Olympic champion Carly Patterson. Led by new all-around world champ Chellsie Memmel, 17, and runner-up Nastia Liukin, 16, the U.S. women are on course for a stellar 2008 Olympics in Beijing -- just what NBC dreams of.

2) Bode's Bad Trips

It's early. A 22nd-place finish in a late November downhill (or an 18th-place showing in a super-G the next day) would normally be no big deal for Bode Miller. But now that the New Hampshire native is the world's premier skier, and the Olympics are just 10 weeks away, his shaky performances at Lake Louise, Alberta, stir a few murmurs. He can -- and should -- quiet them this week at the Birds of Prey World Cup races at Beaver Creek in Colorado. If he stumbles again, however, and rivals like up-and-coming Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal continue to look sharp, the Alpine outlook for Turin could become far more intriguing.

3) Speedskaters Rule

As we said, it's early. A series of world-beating performances in November might not be that big a deal ... But then, they might be. U.S. skaters have been outstanding in the season's first month, lending credibility to the seemingly outlandish prediction in October by all-time great Bonnie Blair that in Turin, Americans could better their record haul of 11 Olympic medals from Salt Lake City in '02. The only bad news for U.S. long-track stars Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick, both of whom have broken world records in the last month, is that history is not on their side: Just one speedskater (Canada's Catrina LeMay Doan in '02) has ever won Olympic gold in an event in which he or she set a world record earlier that same season.

4) Mao Asada

This jumping marvel from Japan is three months too young to be eligible for the '06 Games, but she might be the most dynamic female skater in the world right now. Asada, who turned 15 last September, has lost only once -- to two-time world champion and Olympic favorite Irina Slutskaya -- since '04. She twirls through triple-axel jumps that few of her rivals execute with confidence (if at all) and evokes memories of her idol, Midori Ito, the '92 Olympic silver medalist. Guess who's the early favorite for Vancouver in 2010?

5) Olympic Torch Relay

You may not see the flame until Feb. 10, when it completes its 8,300-mile, six-country journey to the opening ceremonies in Turin, but those faux priestesses in the white robes got together in Olympia, Greece, last week and lit it with sunlight reflected by a concave parabolic mirror (yes, the symbol of the Games' highest ideals is rekindled every two years with what looks like a big stainless-steel mixing bowl). After a tour of Greece, the torch will arrive in Rome on Dec. 7, at which point the speculation will begin as to which famous Italian will use it to light the cauldron at opening ceremonies. For what it's worth, organizers have announced that every Italian gold medalist from the past two Olympics will carry the torch at some point -- and that it will also take a ride in a Ferrari.

6) Evgeny Plushenko

The one major question hanging over the Olympic favorite in men's figure skating was his health. The three-time world champion from Russia had withdrawn from last year's worlds with a groin injury and had surgery on both knees during the summer. But last week, in his only scheduled Grand Prix competition of the fall, Plushenko beat a strong field at the Cup of Russia. Never mind the advantage he had in his hometown of St. Petersburg; Plushenko looked ready to make up for his disappointing second-place finish behind countryman Alexei Yagudin at the '02 Games.