It is time for every Indian to smile again. Indian Americans will look forward to this spot of glory in Athens Olympics.

Fighting off injury and even temporary retirement, Indian American gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj has made it to the US team for the Athens Olympic Games. The 25-year-old sociology major from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was Sunday selected for the August Olympics. It has been a dramatic turnaround for the gritty young woman, who was selected after five days of training at the Olympic team selection camp at the Women's National Team Training Centre near Huntsville, Texas. An elbow injury in 2002 had forced Mohini into retirement, a year after she had won an all-round bronze medal at the 2001 US championships and a team bronze at the 2001 world championships. But she came back into the reckoning earlier this year. She qualified for the US championships, where she was placed 12th, to earn the final Olympic trials spot. At the Olympic trials in Anaheim, Mohini stole the show with an inspired sixth-place effort and went on to shine with grace and style. At the Texas selection camp, Mohini continued to post impressive scores at two mock meets, earning 9.8 points on the vault -- her favourite event -- in the first competition and earning 9.45-plus scores on the other three events. Mohini, born in Philadelphia to Kaushal and Indu Bhardwaj, includes in her hobbies reading and dancing. She has a younger brother Arun. Other members in the US team are Courtney Kupets, Courtney McCool, Carly Patterson, Terin Humphrey and Annia Hatch. Allyse Ishino, Tasha Schwikert and Chellsie Memmel were named as reserves. The US team is considered a strong contender for the Olympics gold.