When Penn State men's gymnast Kevin Tan took his place on the still rings Saturday night, he performed as advertised: perfectly.

Using a mixture of strength moves and an artistic flair, Tan easily wowed the crowd -- and his competitors -- with his routine, and claimed yet another title on the apparatus.

Since April 4, 2002, the story has been the same for Tan: show up, dazzle the judges and win -- a pattern the senior has perfected over the years.

"It's kind of funny because few people realize what they're watching," Penn State men's gymnastics coach Randy Jepson said. "He's now beaten five of the guys that were in the finals of the world championships in the last year. He beat three guys at Winter Cup that were in the finals. So he's now got a spot as one of the top guys in the world right now on rings. I don't know that people really know what they're looking at when they come out."

What the audience is watching is a rising star in the world of men's gymnastics. Already at the age of 22, Tan has claimed an NCAA title, two Big Ten crowns and a pivotal win at the Winter Cup last week over several past Olympians, including Sean Townsend and Blaine Wilson.

Such credentials may seem to make Tan a contender for the 2004 Olympic squad. However, while he dreams of earning such a berth, Tan remains realistic about his chances and his competition.

"It was great to see where I compared against the best ... the best that our country has to offer at the Winter Cup," Tan said. "It's nice to see that I did come out on top in that meet, but you know that you have to keep working because there's gonna be more meets down the road where you need to prove yourself again. So that's what I'm working for."

While rings remains Tan's strong suit, this year he's come into his own in the all-around, claiming two victories in the event this season, and also taking individual titles on the parallel bars, pommel horse and high bar. However, both Jepson and Tan realize there is still plenty of room to improve before this summer's nationals and Olympic Trials.

"We're talking about a guy that can medal in the Olympics," Jepson said. "He's going to need some events to come around, like parallel bars and vault. But, he just missed making the national team at the Winter Cup, and he's going to try again this summer at the national championships and go from there."

In the end though, Tan's reputation for consistency and strength still comes from one event -- the still rings, an event Tan loves to perform every week.

"Of course it's physically demanding ... I mean just look at it," Tan said. "But for me, I've been doing this routine long enough to know what my body can do and can't do. When I walk on that floor I'm confident that I'll be able to perform my set. I think it's almost muscle memory now, and a lot of it for me has to do with basically the mental part of it."