Women's gymnastics: Liukin wins gold, Johnson silver

BEIJING -- One by one, Nastia Liukin picked out pictures of people and things that inspired her, then stuck them to a poster board. She placed it in her bedroom, where it could fuel her dreams at night and greet her when she awoke.

Her mother, Anna, knew something was missing. When Nastia was out, Anna took one of the two gold medals won by Valeri Liukin--her husband and Nastia's dad and coach--and hung it on the board. This was Nastia's dream, after all, to be an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics as her father had been a generation earlier.

She one-upped her dad Friday by winning the women's all-around gold medal on an historic day for the Americans. Liukin, 18, gave the U.S. its first back-to-back Olympic golds in the women's all-around, following Carly Patterson's victory in 2004. Shawn Johnson, 16, finished a close second to mark the first time two U.S. gymnasts had made the podium in the event.

By the time she ends her first Olympics, Liukin will have the chance to surpass her father's total of four Olympic medals. She won silver in the team competition and will compete in three apparatus finals--balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise--later in the Games. Friday, she could barely believe she had her first gold.

"I can't believe it,'' said Liukin, who finished with 63.325 points to Johnson's 62.725. "I worked so hard for so many years for this.

"I saw (Valeri's gold medal) every single day when I woke up. That gave me a little extra motivation. I think that made a little bit of difference, just to be able to see it, having it there in my room, knowing that in a few months I could have one of my own.''

Valeri Liukin competed for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and won silver in the men's all-around. Anna was a world champion rhythmic gymnast. In 1993, Valeri moved with his wife and toddler daughter from Moscow to the U.S. with the hope of running his own gym.

The family settled in Plano, where Valeri established the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy. Nastia has won four gold and five silver medals in world championship competition, equaling Shannon Miller's American record.

Lithe and elegant, with a balletic presence and Russian soul under her USA leotard, Liukin entered these Olympics in the shadow of her roommate in the Athletes' Village. Johnson, the current U.S. and world champion, got most of the attention and was favored to win the all-around. The pair anchored the U.S. team that took silver behind China on Wednesday.

Liukin said she was not disappointed. But she and Johnson wanted more. They made a calendar to hang over their beds in the village, counting the days until they got their next chance for gold.

"Looking at the next day, it's all-around finals,'' Liukin said of their evening on Thursday. "We're just looking at each other like, 'Can you believe it? Tomorrow's the day!'' We just wanted to go all-out and have fun.''

The two pals managed to do both. They battled China's Yang Yilin, the bronze medalist, through much of the morning. Liukin was 10th after vault, the first event--and her weakest. On the uneven bars, one of her best, she scored a 16.650--the second-highest score of the competition--to move into second behind Yang.

Liukin stuck the landing of her beam dismount for a score of 16.125 that gave her a lead she held. She was the only gymnast to earn two scores above 16. After her graceful, assured floor exercise routine, Johnson needed to score 16.125 to catch her and came up 6/10ths of a point shy.

"I couldn't be any prouder of Nastia,'' Johnson said. "She deserved that gold medal. She's one of my best friends, and the USA was standing on top of the podium. We just wanted the best for each other.''

Liukin and Johnson both will compete in the finals of the floor exercise Sunday and the balance beam Tuesday. Liukin also made the finals in the uneven bars, held on Monday.

The silver seemed to whet Johnson's appetite. She proclaimed after the all-around that she wants to try again at the 2012 Olympics in London.

"I probably would have told you a month ago that I was done,'' she said. "But after being here and experiencing the Olympics, I'd give anything to feel that again. If I can in 2012, I'll be there.''

Liukin isn't thinking any farther ahead than next week. "I'm still chasing him for the medal count,'' she said of her father, who playfully reminded her that he has two Olympic gold medals. "I've got three more finals to beat him.''

Her father will be rooting for her. "I think this is an absolutely incredible day for the United States of America in gymnastics,'' Valeri Liukin said. "We proved we are very strong. And there's more to come.''