Grand Rapids - Josh Vance plummets to the earth from 20 feet in the air, tucking his legs and executing a flawless double-flip with a half-twist just inches before meeting the platform that sends him rocketing toward the ceiling.

A second-year MSU medical student, Vance commutes to Grand Rapids after classes each night to train for the world's newest Olympic sport - trampoline gymnastics.

In his eighth consecutive year of training, Vance is considered by many to be one of the sport's top performers in the country.

"It's awesome," he said of the competition. "It's a rush, it's everything and more than you see on TV."

Vance hopes to showcase his talent at the Olympics but has many hoops to jump through first.

But Vance is well on his way. After taking home the silver medal during the U.S. National Championships, held in July in Sacramento, Calif., Vance earned the right to take part in a week-long training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

At the end of the training week, a selection committee chooses four athletes to attend the World Championships in October in Germany. One U.S. athlete trying out must place in the top 16 for the country to earn its place in trampoline gymnastics at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. If this feat occurs, a new selection committee will choose one male and one female to represent the nation.

The competition, similar to a gymnastics routine in that the performances are judged on level of difficulty and accuracy, first appeared in the 2000 Olympics. The competition is divided into two parts - compulsory and optional.

In the compulsory round, athletes must perform five mandatory tricks and five of their own choosing. In the optional round, competitors gain points by showcasing 10 of their own tricks.

"The top seven guys are really close to each other," said Paul Hagan, Vance's coach. "It's very, very difficult to hit your routine flawless at 20 feet in the air."

Vance got his start at age 14 in his hometown, Colorado Springs. A neighbor was a trampoline gymnastics coach and Vance says once he got into the sport he was hooked.

A member of the U.S. national team, the 25-year-old earned a spot among the nation's elite after taking the double-mini event title in the 2001 National Championship. In the World Championships the same year, Vance's team won the bronze medal, with Vance placing 13th in individuals.

But after competing against the best gymnasts in the world, Vance admits his greatest contest might be his own partner, Keith Douglas.

"We compete against each other in everything," Vance said.

Prior to pairing up with Vance, Douglas was a two-time all-American gymnast for the Spartans and is a 1998 English graduate.

The two flip-flop first-place rankings at local meets. Douglas snagged first place in the double-mini event during the 2002 National Championships, a title Vance had carried the year before.

"We travel together, we're like brothers, teammates and friends all in one," Douglas said. "We push and push and push each other.

"You can extend the limit further than you might think when you have that kind of intimidation and competition."

Hagan, their coach and owner of Aerials & Baranis Gym Center in Grand Rapids where the two men train, said Douglas' presence has helped propel Vance to new heights.

"With Keith as his partner, every training session is like a big competition," Hagan said.

Vance said along with preparing for the next contest, training and goofing around with Douglas also is a good way to relieve daily stress. The two tape a $5 bill on the gym's 20-foot ceiling, and take turns pulling it off and sticking it back on while working on their jumps.

Vance maintains the rivalry is a good-natured one, but Douglas was less cautious when describing his feelings.

"I'd rather place low in competition than lose to him," he said, laughing.

The two also share the task of balancing their lives outside of training. Vance has the increasing demands of being a student in MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, while Douglas has a wife and 14-month-old son at home.

Competitions, planes and long car rides provide Vance a perfect place to curl up with a book, he said.

"I force myself to study for two hours a day," he said. "At meets there's a lot of down time, and when we're on the road I have someone else drive so I can sit and read."

Bouncing between medical student and Olympian-in-training, Vance said time management is everything.

"I even plan when I'm having fun," he said. "There's no spontaneous fun for me these days."

Vance admitted making the Olympic team is the ultimate goal for him, despite the odds against being selected.

"I'm one of those people if I can't get to the top, I don't want to do it," he said.

And after soaring into another flip, Vance's feet scrape the ceiling, which could be a sign of things to come.