The world got a rare view of America that could only be possible through the Olympics as a Texan, Iowan, Russian and Chinese combined to give the USA the first sweep of gold and silver in the women's overall gymnastics championship in history. What you say?
Try this. Nastia Liukin of Texas won the gold and Shawn Johnson, her roommate from Iowa won the silver medal in the Olympics all around, the first time it ever happened.
Now Nastia is the closest thing we have to gymnastic royalty as her father and coach, Valeri Liukin was a gold medal champion from the Soviet Union and her mother, Anna Kotchneva was a world champion rhythmic gymnast from the Soviet Union. Nastia was born in Moscow.
Shawn was born in Iowa and one of the first students of Chinese gymnast Liang Chow who moved from Beijing, China to Iowa to attend university and start a training school.
So a Russian born girl and her Soviet champion parents move to Texas while a Chinese gymnast moves to Iowa and finds a future Olympic champion at his door. About 10 years later they all converge in Beijing for the 29th Olympics, with Nastia and Shawn roommates where they electrify the world with dazzling performances.
In the end just 6 one hundredths of a point separates the two, who were cheering for each other during the competition, and proved that sportsmanship still rules in America where you can be competitors and remain friends.
Do I sense a movie in the making?
