LAKE BUENA VISTA (USA), FIG Office, April 16, 2012: There was plenty to be impressed with in the podium training sessions at the 23rd World Acrobatics Championships in Lake Buena Vista (USA). Especially captivating were the Chinese men's groups, whose performance quality equaled their difficulty.

The cameras came out as soon as the Chinese took the floor for the second day of podium training at the 2012 Acro World Gymnastics Championships. China's men's groups had captivated everyone who saw their routines, and it was hard to say which was more spectacular -- their artistry or their difficulty.

Many acro gymnasts graduate to Cirque du Soleil once they finish their competitive careers. The Chinese looked like they'd been performing with Cirque for a decade. The small details that make a routine great -- facial expression, keeping the chin up, feeling the music with the whole body -- were surpassed only by the raw difficulty of their skills: A full twisting triple back from a throw. Then a triple pike from a throw. A double pike Jaeger caught on hands to a double tuck Jaeger, right to an "easy" layout Jaeger.

"Upper level acrobatics is unbelievably hard," said Rumen Lachkov, a five-time World Acro team member from Bulgaria who now coaches the Colombian men's pair. "There are things that are almost impossible to see in any discipline."

The Chinese even came dressed for the occasion, forgoing practice togs for full competition regalia, something few teams opted to do. Their practice sessions were not about honing elements, or even about doing a routine once perfectly and then leaving satisfied. After each number, groups stayed on the floor to work several of their hardest combinations, putting in the labour that comes before a performance can be that good. And everyone wanted to capture it.

Gymnasts from 22 countries have made the trek to Lake Buena Vista, Fla. to determine who the best in the world is. Due to a one-per-country rule for the medal rounds, only one of the two Chinese men's groups will advance to Wednesday's final. Based on difficulty and performance quality in practice, both seem to merit the berth. On the other hand, what a fight it will be to see who gets it!