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Her performance at worlds was the exclamation point on a winning streak the likes of which is rarely seen in gymnastics. Johnson won every event she entered in 2007, her first as a senior, establishing herself as one of the poster kids for the Beijing Games. It also set up a compelling, yet friendly, rivalry with Liukin.
"Shawn will always hold a special place in gymnastics and my heart," Karolyi said. "She always showed the joy of doing gymnastics."
Indeed, it was that personality that made Johnson so popular with both gymnastics fans and folks who think a floor is something to sit on. She was always cheerful, frequently flashing a megawatt smile almost as big as she is, and delightfully unaffected. As a way of saying thank you to Chow and his wife and co-coach, Li Zhuang, Johnson learned how to write their names in Chinese and surprised them by putting the characters on the sleeves of her leotard for the 2007 U.S. championships.
After she finished second to Liukin in Beijing, Johnson was among the first to embrace her teammate and congratulate her. If she was disappointed, she wasn't going to spoil Liukin's accomplishment by showing it.
"We're going to truly miss her," Chow said. "But we realize life is going on and we want to wish her the very best."
Johnson said she made her decision Friday, then spent the next day telling those closest to her. But no matter how many times she said the words, they hadn't quite sunk in. She imagines that will change over the coming months, as she watches the rest of the U.S. women fight for a spot on the Olympic team and experience everything she did just four years ago. She still plans to attend nationals and the Olympic trials; her training partner, Gabby Douglas, is a favorite to make the London team.
And she plans to go to London, where she promised to be "the greatest cheerleader in the stands."
Her autobiography, "Winning Balance," is being released Tuesday, and she plans to go to college in the fall of 2013, though she hasn't settled on a school.
Beyond that, however, Johnson's not sure.
"I'd normally say I have practice at 2:30," she said. "I don't know and that's hard. I'm at a point where I don't know what's next."
Though it may not have ended how she imagined or hoped, Johnson said she has no regrets about her comeback. She felt she had gotten "off track" in the two years after Beijing, and returning to gymnastics reminded her of what was really important.
"The comeback has made me 10 times more a stronger person than I ever was," she said. "The past two years in gymnastics brought me back to the real me. I feel like no matter where I go next, I'll be more level-headed about it. And do what's right for me."
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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