Brandy Johnson

Brandy Johnson, the U.S. women's gymnastics champion, won three of four individual events and men's champion Tim Ryan finished first in the high bar at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Bloomington, Minn.

Brandy Johnson can't vote, can't drink, can't buy grown-up clothes and can't remember Watergate. Bela Karolyi says she's too old. Brandy Johnson has been on the planet 17 years. If she goes to certain movies, she still requires parental guidance. Bela Karolyi says she's over the hill. Unfortunately for Johnson, Karolyi's words carry substantial weight in the world of women's gymnastics.

Kim Zmeskal, a 14-year-old who was competing in her first senior nationals, vaulted past defending champion Brandy Johnson to win the women's all-around title Saturday night at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Denver. In the senior men's event, steady John Roethlisberger held off UCLA's Chris Waller to capture the all-around, 114.3-113.9. Zmeskal scored a 9.8 in the floor exercise and a 9.975 in the vault--the highest mark of the night--to claim the title. Johnson scored 9.

The Soviet Union won the team championship in a dual women's gymnastics meet with the United States at Columbus, but Brandy Johnson took all-around honors. Johnson, whose 16th birthday is today, won the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise to total 39.575 points to beat out Soviets Elena Sazonenkova, with 39.375 points, and Svetlana Baitova, with 39.325. The Soviets had 195.875 points, to 194.725 for the United States.

Chelle Stack, the youngest Olympian to compete in the Seoul Summer Games last year, announced today that she is leaving her training program under Bela Karolyi and moving to Philadelphia. Chelle was 15 when she joined two other Karolyi gymnasts, Brandy Johnson and Phoebe Mills, on the U.S. Olympic team. Johnson left Karolyi earlier this year to return to Coach Kevin Brown in Florida. Karolyi, who was sworn in Monday as a U.S. citizen with his wife, Marta, and daughter, Andrea, said he was not surprised at Chelle's decision to return to her former coaches, Leo and Anna Belder of Philadelphia.

Kim Zmeskal, a 14-year-old who was competing in her first senior nationals, vaulted past defending champion Brandy Johnson to win the women's all-around title Saturday night at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Denver. In the senior men's event, steady John Roethlisberger held off UCLA's Chris Waller to capture the all-around, 114.3-113.9. Zmeskal scored a 9.8 in the floor exercise and a 9.975 in the vault--the highest mark of the night--to claim the title. Johnson scored 9.

Brandy Johnson can't vote, can't drink, can't buy grown-up clothes and can't remember Watergate. Bela Karolyi says she's too old. Brandy Johnson has been on the planet 17 years. If she goes to certain movies, she still requires parental guidance. Bela Karolyi says she's over the hill. Unfortunately for Johnson, Karolyi's words carry substantial weight in the world of women's gymnastics.

Brandy Johnson, the U.S. women's gymnastics champion, won three of four individual events and men's champion Tim Ryan finished first in the high bar at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Bloomington, Minn.

Chelle Stack, the youngest Olympian to compete in the Seoul Summer Games last year, announced today that she is leaving her training program under Bela Karolyi and moving to Philadelphia. Chelle was 15 when she joined two other Karolyi gymnasts, Brandy Johnson and Phoebe Mills, on the U.S. Olympic team. Johnson left Karolyi earlier this year to return to Coach Kevin Brown in Florida. Karolyi, who was sworn in Monday as a U.S. citizen with his wife, Marta, and daughter, Andrea, said he was not surprised at Chelle's decision to return to her former coaches, Leo and Anna Belder of Philadelphia.

The Soviet Union won the team championship in a dual women's gymnastics meet with the United States at Columbus, but Brandy Johnson took all-around honors. Johnson, whose 16th birthday is today, won the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise to total 39.575 points to beat out Soviets Elena Sazonenkova, with 39.375 points, and Svetlana Baitova, with 39.325. The Soviets had 195.875 points, to 194.725 for the United States.

The future stars of American women's gymnastics sat at a long table in Myriad Arena Thursday, giggling and adjusting their pony tails. Six of them sat on three metal folding chairs. Their futures may be big, but these athletes are not. The smallest, and best, is Kim Zmeskal, who is 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 65 pounds. She is 13. The biggest, but not the worst, is Kelly Pitzen, who is 4-10 and 86 pounds. She is also 13.