Iowa gymnast takes gold at Pan Am games
Posted: Tuesday, July 17, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Shawn Johnson knows all about the process it takes to become successful in gymnastics. So she's not rushing anything, even if she has surged toward the top of the sport.
The 15-year-old Iowan, the rising star of U.S. gymnastics, turned in an impeccable balance beam performance to win the gold medal Monday in the women's all-around final at the Pan American Games.
Countrywomen Rebecca Bross and Ivana Hong made it a medals sweep and an all-American festival among 24 gymnasts from 10 countries gathered at the Multisport Arena on Rio's west side.
"I never tried to create expectations because we only suffer disappointments," Johnson said. "I prefer to train hard because the work is day by day, step by step."
Johnson, of Des Moines, Iowa, scored 61.725 in competition in floor exercise, the beam, the vault, and uneven bars. That was enough to beat Bross by an impressive .675 margin, while Hong, of Laguna Hills, Calif., finished with 59.375, just .05 in front of Jade Barbosa of the host nation.
"We trained hard, we worked as a team and we got this result," Johnson said. "This is very good for the gymnastics of our country because it can make us even stronger.
"I gave my best and I'm sure I represented my country very well. The crowd impressed me but, as on Saturday during the team competition, the boos didn't bother me."
The big absence for the local crowd was Brazilian Daiane dos Santos, the 2003 world champion in floor exercise. Santos hurt her ankle in practice and showed up in a sweat suit but did not compete, as the crowd chanted "Daiane, Daiane" and she waved to her fans.
Dos Santos is one of the most electrifying performers on floor exercise today, putting on a show worthy of Carnivale and doing some of the toughest tricks around. One has even been dubbed the "Dos Santos" by the International Gymnastics Federation.
The Americans took control of the meet from the opening series of the four separate apparatus. Hong got it started with a 15.575 on the balance beam. At the same time, Bross and Johnson tied for first with 15.100s in floor exercises.
Brazil's Daniele Hypolito, a crowd favorite, missed steps and lost her balance on the floor exercise, where she was the silver medalist at the 2001 world championships. But she recovered to draw roars from the crowd and a respectable 14.600.
The chants of "Brazil, Brazil" faded as the Americans took early control of the meet. But Barbosa brought them back in the second round with a stirring floor routine that drew a standing ovation and a 15.025 from the judges.
But it was America's Johnson, the national junior champion, who kept getting high marks with a 15.175 in the vault -- only Barbosa topped that later on with a 15.850. Johnson moved into first place overall after two rotations, while Hong fell to second and Bross was third.
Barbosa came back in the third series with her excellent vault to move into first place, just 0.1 points ahead of Johnson. The American scored just a 15.275 on the uneven bars to drop into second, even though it was the best score of the evening on the bars.
But it was an all-American show at the end. Johnson turned in a 16.175 on the beam --the highest mark of the day on any event -- to take the gold. Bross, of Ann Arbor, Mich., was second highest at 15.925 on the beam to clinch silver, while Hong's 15.575 on the beam completed the American sweep.
"Finishing 1-2-3 proves the level of preparation of this young and talented group," said Martha Karolyi, the women's national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. "This represents a good test for the upcoming World Championships
Johnson is expected to be a factor at the upcoming U.S. championships and worlds -- and then in Beijing. Unlike Johnson and Hong, the 14-year-old Bross is a year too young to compete at the 2008 Olympics.
"I'm delighted with the competition," Bross said. "Tis result is very important for me. I have to prepare myself now for the world championships in August."
The individual apparatus medals will be contested on Tuesday, with the American women against favored in most events.
The 15-year-old Iowan, the rising star of U.S. gymnastics, turned in an impeccable balance beam performance to win the gold medal Monday in the women's all-around final at the Pan American Games.
Countrywomen Rebecca Bross and Ivana Hong made it a medals sweep and an all-American festival among 24 gymnasts from 10 countries gathered at the Multisport Arena on Rio's west side.
"I never tried to create expectations because we only suffer disappointments," Johnson said. "I prefer to train hard because the work is day by day, step by step."
Johnson, of Des Moines, Iowa, scored 61.725 in competition in floor exercise, the beam, the vault, and uneven bars. That was enough to beat Bross by an impressive .675 margin, while Hong, of Laguna Hills, Calif., finished with 59.375, just .05 in front of Jade Barbosa of the host nation.
"We trained hard, we worked as a team and we got this result," Johnson said. "This is very good for the gymnastics of our country because it can make us even stronger.
"I gave my best and I'm sure I represented my country very well. The crowd impressed me but, as on Saturday during the team competition, the boos didn't bother me."
The big absence for the local crowd was Brazilian Daiane dos Santos, the 2003 world champion in floor exercise. Santos hurt her ankle in practice and showed up in a sweat suit but did not compete, as the crowd chanted "Daiane, Daiane" and she waved to her fans.
Dos Santos is one of the most electrifying performers on floor exercise today, putting on a show worthy of Carnivale and doing some of the toughest tricks around. One has even been dubbed the "Dos Santos" by the International Gymnastics Federation.
The Americans took control of the meet from the opening series of the four separate apparatus. Hong got it started with a 15.575 on the balance beam. At the same time, Bross and Johnson tied for first with 15.100s in floor exercises.
Brazil's Daniele Hypolito, a crowd favorite, missed steps and lost her balance on the floor exercise, where she was the silver medalist at the 2001 world championships. But she recovered to draw roars from the crowd and a respectable 14.600.
The chants of "Brazil, Brazil" faded as the Americans took early control of the meet. But Barbosa brought them back in the second round with a stirring floor routine that drew a standing ovation and a 15.025 from the judges.
But it was America's Johnson, the national junior champion, who kept getting high marks with a 15.175 in the vault -- only Barbosa topped that later on with a 15.850. Johnson moved into first place overall after two rotations, while Hong fell to second and Bross was third.
Barbosa came back in the third series with her excellent vault to move into first place, just 0.1 points ahead of Johnson. The American scored just a 15.275 on the uneven bars to drop into second, even though it was the best score of the evening on the bars.
But it was an all-American show at the end. Johnson turned in a 16.175 on the beam --the highest mark of the day on any event -- to take the gold. Bross, of Ann Arbor, Mich., was second highest at 15.925 on the beam to clinch silver, while Hong's 15.575 on the beam completed the American sweep.
"Finishing 1-2-3 proves the level of preparation of this young and talented group," said Martha Karolyi, the women's national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. "This represents a good test for the upcoming World Championships
Johnson is expected to be a factor at the upcoming U.S. championships and worlds -- and then in Beijing. Unlike Johnson and Hong, the 14-year-old Bross is a year too young to compete at the 2008 Olympics.
"I'm delighted with the competition," Bross said. "Tis result is very important for me. I have to prepare myself now for the world championships in August."
The individual apparatus medals will be contested on Tuesday, with the American women against favored in most events.
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