2008 Beijing Gymnastics

Johnson prepares the beam for her routine during the finals at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium. Johnson posted a score of 16.225, good enough for the gold medal.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Johnson performs the balance beam routine that earned her a gold medal.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Chinese gymnast Li Shanshan loses her balance during the balance beam finals at the Beijing Olympics. Li finished fifth.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin delivers a silver-medal winning performance during the balance beam final.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Liukin leaps high off the balance beam at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson approaches the medals podium to accept her gold medal. Bronze medalist Cheng Fei of China is left and Nastia Liukin of the U.S. is the silver medalist.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Gold medal winner Shawn Johnson, right, and silver medalist Nastia Liukin embrace moments after the conclusion of the balance beam final.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin seems to be in good spirits after learning that she won the silver medal in uneven bars. She had the same score as China’s He Kexin, who took the gold.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Nastia Liukin of the U.S. swings into the air in the women’s uneven bars.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Nastia Liukin flips into her dismount in the women’s uneven bars individual event. She scored 16.725.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Chinese gymnast He Kexin also scores 16.725 on the uneven bars, tying with Nastia Liukin of the U.S. He wins the gold because of a tiebreaker rule.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Nastia Liukin receives the silver medal in the uneven bars.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Is there a look of disappointment on the face of Nastia Liukin? She shares the medal podium with China’s He Kexin, gold, and Yang Yilin, bronze, for the women’s uneven bars individual event.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

China’s He Kexin steps onto the medal podium to receive her gold at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Romanian gymnast Sandra Izbasa nails a twisting flip during her gold-medal-winning routine in the final of women’s floor exercise at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium. U.S. gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin finished second and third, respectively.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnasts Shawn Johnson, left, and Nastia Liukin, right, get a close look at a gold medal as they pose for pictures with Sandra Izbasa of Romania, top winner in women’s floor exercise. Johnson won silver; Liukin, bronze.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Korea’s Un Jong Hong receives a hug from a well-wisher after winning the gold medal in the women’s vault at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin performs a bronze-medal-winning routine in women’s floor exercise at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin competes in the women’s floor exercise.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Shawn Johnson executes a tumbling run during her silver-medal performance in the women’s floor exercise final at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Chinese gymnast Fei Cheng fights to keep her form during a tumbling run in the women’s floor exercise final at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium. Cheng suffered a few slips and finished in seventh place.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Fei Cheng misses a landing following a tumbling run in her floor routine.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Chinese gymnast Qin Xiao delivers a gold-medal performance in men’s pommel horse.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Qin Xiao salutes the flag military style after receiving his gold medal in men’s pommel horse at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Alexander Artemev falls from the pommel horse near the end of his routine. The error pushed him out of medal contention in the men’s pommel horse final at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Back on the pommel horse after slipping off, U.S. gymnast Alexander Artemev completes an otherwise strong routine to finish seventh at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Isreal’s Alexandr Shatilov struggled during his routine in the men’s floor exercise final, finishing eighth.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

China’s Kai Zou tumbles across the mat en route to a gold medal in the men’s floor exercise final.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Gold medalist Nastia Liukin, right, hugs silver medalist Shawn Johnson at the end of the women’s gymnastics all-around competition Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnst Nastia Liukin acknowledges the crowd after winning the gold medal in women’s gymnastics individual all-around competition Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin strikes a flamingo-like pose during her floor exercise Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin performs a release move during her routine on the uneven bars Friday during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin performs her routine on the uneven bars during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson does the splits in midair during her balance beam routine Friday in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Shawn Johnson performs a front flip on the balance beam during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson smiles and waves to the crowd after finishing her routine on the uneven bars Friday during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin competes during the floor exercise Friday in Beijing as she won the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin makes a tumbling pass as part of her floor exercise Friday during the women’s gymnastics all-around competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson performs a release move on the uneven bars during her silver-medal effort in the women’s gymnastics all-around competition Friday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton competes on the parallel bars during the men’s individual all-around finals on Thursday in Beijing. Horton would finish ninth overall.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Justin Horton performs his pommel horse routine Thursday during the men’s gymnastics all-around competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kohei Uchimura of Japan competes in the rings Thursday, when he took the silver medal in the men’s all-around competition in Beijing.  (Nick Laham / Getty Images)

American gymnast Alicia Sacramone falls backward during her floor exercise, hurting U.S. chances at a gold medal in the team competition Wednesday in Beijing. The Americans would settle for the silver.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin, left, gives teammate Alicia Sacramone a hug afer Sacramone struggled with her floor exercise Wednesday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. teammates keep an eye on Shawn Johnson during the floor exercise Wednesday night in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Alicia Sacramone loses her balance after mounting the balance beam Wednesday in Beijing during the women’s gymnastics team competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

After falling off the balance beam early in her routine, Alicia Sacramone forged ahead during the women’s gymnastics team competition Wednesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Alicia Sacramone is consoled by coach Martha Karolyi after Sacramone fell off the balance beam Wednesday night during the women’s team competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnasts (from left) Alicia Sacramone, Shawn Johnson and Natsia Liukin watch a Chinese gymnast perform her routine on the floor exercise Wednesday during the women’s gymnastics team competition. China would take the gold.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson does the splits in midair over the balance beam during her routine Wednesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Russian gymnast Lyudmila Grebenkova wipes a tear after her balance beam routine, during which she fell.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

China gymnast Shanshan Li competes on the balance beam Wednesday night during the team competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Chinese team celebrates clinching the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team competition Wednesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnasts Jonathan Horton and Kevin Tan hug after winning the bronze medal in the men’s team competition Tuesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jonathan Horton rotates around the horizontal bar on Tuesday in an effort to help the U.S. finish third in the men’s team competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Jonathan Horton heads toward the sideline and welcoming teammates after a solid performance on the horizontal bar.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The U.S. gymnastics team celebrates clinching the bronze medal Tuesday in the men’s team competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Raj Bhavsar finishes his routine on the parallel bars with a tuck dismount. Bhavsar went to the Olympics as an alternate and was put into the rotation when an injury forced 2004 all-around gold medalist Paul Hamm to the sideline.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. captain Kevin Tan holds his form on the rings, helping the Americans to a bronze medal in the men’s team competition Tuesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Jonathan Horton does a one-handed release move as he concludes his horizontal bar routine Tuesday in Beijing during the men’s team competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Reigning world all-around champion Shawn Johnson works on her routine before competing on the balance beam Sunday during the women’s gymnastics team qualifying.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson flips backward on the balance beam during her routine Sunday in the women’s gymnastics team qualifying competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Alicia Sacramone is given a hug by team coordinator Martha Karolyi after a vault routine Sunday during women’s gymnastics team qualifying.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Shawn Johnson elevates high above the balance beam Sunday during women’s gymnastics team qualifying competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American gymnast Nastia Liukin, who qualified second in the individual all-around, waits for her chance to perform on the uneven bars Sunday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. captain Shawn Johnson huddles with teammates Sunday as the Americans qualified second behind China in the women’s gymnastics team competition on Sunday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American Joey Hagerty performs his routine on the pommel horse, the last event for the U.S. team during men’s gymnastics qualifying Saturday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Americans huddle after finishing first in their subdivision during men’s gymnastics team qualifying Saturday in Beijing. The U.S. scored 365.200 points. The top eight out of 12 teams advance to the finals of team competition on Tuesday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Alexander Artemev beams after completing his pommel horse routine Saturday. Artemev was an alternate who drew a spot in the rotation with an injury to Morgan Hamm.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the U.S. team prepare for men’s gymnastics team qualifying Saturday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American Alexander Artemev flips in the air during his routine on the parallel bars Saturday during men’s gymnastics team qualifying.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Raj Bhavsar prepares for the parallel bars by adding some extra chalk to his hands Saturday during the men’s gymnastics team qualifying competition.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American Jonathan Horton launches himself into the air during his vault on Saturday during the men’s gymnastics team qualifying.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Americans Joey Hagerty, left, Raj Bhavsar, center, and Alexander Artemev prepare for the parallel bars during the men’s gymnastics team qualifying on Saturday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. gymnast Justin Spring performs a release move during his routine on the horizontal bar Saturday during the men’s gymnastics team qualifying.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)