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With less than 60 days left till the Sydney Paralympics, Team USA entered another training camp hoping to seal the cohesion that had begun in previous camps. The frustration of new lines working together has begun to be replaced with gentle confidence.

"We have a complete game," says coach Wendy Gumbert. "Half court, up-tempo, pressure or methodical, we will have a team that can meet all the needs necessary to win". And it appears her observations are right. This talent rich team is making the sacrifices necessary to win. Long hours in the gym, endless time studying habits and tendencies of their opponents and mentally focusing on the task before them.

When asked if the rest of the world was going to roll over and let Team USA collect Gold and return to the states, Coach Reggie Richner says, No. "Expect a vastly improved pool of teams and players to greet us".

And his views are correct. World Championship runner-ups, New Zealand will be charging towards the top spot. They return the same team that gave the USA what many deem the most difficult game in championship play at the World Championships in 1998. With arguably the fastest line in rugby (Taylor, Palmer, Tinker and Sharman), the Kiwi's will be trying to out "race" the rest of the pack. "The thing that has hurt the Wheelblacks in the past is team depth" says Coach Richner. But, the Kiwi's have been busy developing a new line (Leefe, Tinker, Johnson, Guthrie), to give the high speed one a chance to catch its breath. In short, expect the familiar pace of the past along with added depth to add a new dimension, to what should be a solid contender for the Gold.

Another team vying for the precious metal is Canada. A long time finalist in international competition, the land of the Maple Leafs returns 3.5-work horse Garret Hickling. His long time presence has added much to Team Canada and will help them in their pursuits. Also developing new lines and players, there are reports that the Canucks are bringing a former wheelchair basketball athlete to relieve Hickling on the court. Expect this development to at the very least strengthen an already veteran team. While many may count Canada out of the Gold round, expect them to be a team with upset on their minds and a desire to return to past glories.

Still another team to be watching will be Sweden. In the time since the last World Championships, the Europeans have been quietly building a force that could play the role of spoiler. Led by a line in Toronto that has been revamped with the re-classification of a top player, the Swedes have been busy incorporating new lines into the mix. This has in a sense put three great athletes on the floor for them and will make them the "sleeper" pick of the tournament. Expect them to make another step in international competition.

And if any team could be considered the hometown favorite it would be the Aussie's. With many observers already placing them in the Championship game, the boys from down under will need there "A" game to advance from their pool to the medal round. The development of the young Brad Dubberly, alongside key players Porter and Houck will need to blossom during crunch time. Former USA coach Terry Vinyard will be leading the hometown darlings into battle. Vineyard, who has bought a slowed down methodical half court game to Australia, will have to slow down a hard hitting, aggressive team. The line of Dubberly, Porter, Kennedy, and Clarke has proved at the World Games in 1999, they can hang with the big boys. Expect the Aussies to struggle early but to be in the medal rounds at the end.

So, you can easily see where the US has its work cut out trying to win the Gold. Past victories aside, they will be working with new directions, ideas and players to achieve what others have aspired to in the past. The challenge is there, and Team USA appears to have stepped up and said, "Let's get it on".

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