BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Polish world vault champion Leszek Blanik said on Thursday that the absence of Chinese gymnastics ace Li Xiaopeng in vault at the Beijing Olympic Games will not boost his chance to win a medal as the competition will be tense.

"I do not know Li has quitted. Two months ago, he did not participate in the vault competition of the 2008 FIG World Cup in Tianjin neither. There are many competitive rivals in the Olympic Games. It is possible for every one to claim the medals," said the 31-year-old "vault king".

Li announced his decision to skip vault competition in the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday when moving into the Olympic village with the Chinese delegation. Li said he quit the event as he had no time to prepare a satisfactory second maneuver after coming back from injury.

The Sydney double Olympic champion, however, will be one of the three members to perform on vault in men's team competition which requires only one vault instead of two, according to China's head coach Huang Yubin.

For the medal prospect, Blanik remained cautious. "So far I am just expecting to be a finalist in the vault competition. That is the first step, and then I will think of a medal because it is the Olympic Games which is more important than world championships and anything could happen in the Olympics," the gymnast told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Blanik, the Sydney Olympic bronze winner and the gold medalist in the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart, is the only Polish men gymnast in the Beijing Olympics and he will focus all his attention on the vault competition.

He identified 28-year-old Romanian veteran Marian Dragulescu and Russian elite Anton Golotsutskov as major rivals. He also regarded France gymnasts as impressive and competitive.

Dragulescu won a vault bronze in the Athens Olympic Games and captured the gold in the event in the 2006 World Championships in Arhus, Denmark, while Golotsutskov took the vault silver in the 2006 World Cup final.

In addition, Blanik was satisfied with the organization and service in the Olympic Village.

Blanik arrived in the Beijing Capital International Airport on Sunday as a member of 42 Polish athletes of the 400-plus Polish delegation.