Liukin and Johnson on same and different sides
STUTTGART, Germany -- Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson will be teammates for United States women's gymnastics Wednesday, hoping to lead it to a team gold medal. They will be rivals the rest of the week, aiming to win the all-around title and individual event medals and set themselves up as favorites to be the best gymnast at next summer's Olympics in Beijing.
After a dominating performance in qualifying Sunday, the U.S. will be favored to unseat China and win the world championship team gold medal with Johnson, the newly crowned U.S. national all-around champion, and a reinvigorated Liukin leading the way.
There will be others seriously contesting the all-around medals Friday -- Stiliana Nistor from Romania had the highest qualifying score, England's Elizabeth Tweddle shined on uneven bars and floor exercise while qualifying fourth, and defending gold medalist Vanessa Ferrari of Italy and Brazil's Jade Barbosa had strong first-round performances. The Chinese qualifiers, national champion Yang Yilin and Xiao Sha, should also be in contention, but it would surprise no one here if the two Americans were to be on the podium.
The teenagers, as opposite as two gymnasts can be, were second and third Sunday, and only Johnson's uncommon botched uneven bars landing kept her from finishing first.
Liukin, 17, is the daughter of two Russian gymnasts. Her father, Valeri, coaches Liukin in the dynamics of power and in the matters of jumping and twisting and landing. Her mother, Anna, who was a rhythmic gymnast and Russian national champion, coaches Liukin about the sweetness of a pointed toe and the eminent grace of a well-turned pirouette. Liukin, who grew up in Parker, Texas, says she could have played any sport. "But I can't think of one other I would have liked," she says.
Johnson is the daughter of Doug, an Iowa carpenter, and his wife, Teri. Johnson, 15, was raised in West Des Moines to be anything that satisfied her relentless energy. It happened that her mother enrolled Johnson in a tumbling tots class to keep her daughter from diving off the entertainment center or using the couch in place of a trampoline.
Liukin is taller, a little more slender with longer legs and lighter blond hair than Johnson. Johnson is more muscled. Liukin tends to brooding seriousness during her performances while Johnson, a rookie on the senior international stage, naturally smiles without prodding during her routines.
