Initially a slalom and giant slalom specialist, she won her first Super-G and downhill races in March 2005 at San Sicario, Italy, during the pre-Olympic competitions.

Without Carroll, Kwan has struggled in her pre-Olympic competitions, finishing third in last month's Skate Canada event.

No pre-Olympic competition here will get more attention than the year's major swimming meet, the NationsBank Pan Pacific championships Thursday through Sunday.

In the wake of seven recent failed drug tests, Chinese swimmers have been banned from an important pre-Olympic competition to be held in Atlanta in August.

Athletes from such nations do not have to attain any impressive results at pre-Olympic competitions; they just have to show up at certain number of them.

A tradition among equestrians of pre-Olympic competition in soccer, water skiing, swimming and softball has resulted in several injuries to riders.

For team sports, it might not be possible because pre-Olympic competition is already going on.

Johnson was referring to Zmelik's performance in his first pre-Olympic competition, a Multi-Star track evening in Desenzano, Italy.

During the pre-olympic competition for 1996 Olimpic Games, Savio was one of the best players in the tournament, gaining Ronaldo's position as the striker of the national team.

It continues here through Saturday at Skate Canada, a major pre-Olympic competition featuring top performers from 19 countries.