Journey to the top

Two Chinese men discuss an Olympic-themed painting titled "The Champions of the Artistic Gymnastics team of China" displayed at an auction of Olympic artworks and memorabilia in Beijing on August 12, 2008. The painting, which is expected to fetch up to 90,000 dollars, is one of over 300 items to be auctioned off on August 15. [Agencies]

China traveled a long road to get back to the top. A watershed moment for the team was at the 2006 World Championships, where it beat archrival Japan en route to claiming a record eight gold medals.

The team continued its road to improvement at the Doha Asian Games at the end of that year and went on to win five more gold medals at last year's World Championships in Stuttgart.

After three Olympic appearances and living through the peaks and valleys of Team China, Yang, Li and Huang Xu all held each other and wept, knowing this is likely each of their final Olympics.

"We have prepared for this gold for eight years," said three-time all-around world champion Yang. "After the Athens Games, we kept asking ourselves everyday, 'what have we done for the Olympics today?' and whether we made enough effort everyday."

"We have gone from the highest to the lowest and then back to the peak again, which makes me feel special today," Huang Xu said. "Eight years ago, I was still young and now I'm very confident."

Li, the 2000 Sydney Games parallel bars gold medalist, returned from injury only a few months before the Beijing Games. With this team gold medal - his 15th Olympic, Worlds or World Cup gold - he has now surpassed the legend himself, Li Ning, who has 14 gold medals in top-level world competitions.

But Li Xiaopeng remained modest about his achievement.

"I think Li Ning is a miracle of his time and I cannot exceed him," he said.