Johnson, Liukin bound for Beijing after trials

PHILADELPHIA — As the crowd cheered and red, white and blue confetti rained down upon them, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin looked at each other, tears filling their eyes.

They'd made it.

All those years of training, all those sacrifices, they were paid back in full Sunday night with a ticket to the Beijing Olympics.

"We looked at each other for the longest time," Liukin said. "Shawn said to me, 'Can you believe it?' "

The world's two best gymnasts earned guaranteed spots on the U.S. team for the Beijing Games with a 1-2 finish at the Olympic trials — the same places they had at the national championships two weeks ago. Johnson finished the two-day competition with 127.65 points, while Liukin had 125.85.

"It feels amazing to finally have it be reality," Johnson said. "To know I have a spot, to have earned it, to know it's actually real is 100 times greater."

Now the fight is on for the remaining four spots on the team. Four gymnasts and three alternates will be chosen July 20 after a selection camp at the Karolyi ranch in Texas. The training squad for that camp is Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Jana Bieger, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan and Shayla Worley.

Really, though, the battle might be for only one spot. Sacramone is considered a lock, one of the world's best on vault and floor. Peszek has been steady all year and is prized for her consistency.

Then there's Memmel, the feel-good story of nationals and trials. She was barely an afterthought a month ago after missing most of the last two years with a blown-out shoulder. But she finished third at both nationals and trials with performances that the rest of the world is sure to notice — she closed the competition with a high-flying floor routine that had the entire arena rocking.

"Did I want to be named? Yeah, of course," said Memmel. "I feel that I belong. I finished the last four competitions in the top three, so I hope they think of me as part of the team."

Johnson and Liukin are the best thing gymnastics has going — in the United States or anywhere in the world. Johnson is the reigning world champion, a bundle of power and personality that has people comparing her to Mary Lou Retton. Liukin puts the art in artistic gymnastics, a lithe blend of beauty and grace who has won seven medals at the world championships since 2005.

"We're such good friends, and we've shared so many different experiences," Johnson said. "To finally know, as teammates, we're going to Beijing together and we're on the same path is a great feeling."

Hamming it up

Morgan Hamm was selected for the U.S. men's gymnastics team for Beijing on Sunday, along with Kevin Tan, Joseph Hagerty and Justin Spring.

Paul Hamm, the reigning Olympic champion and Morgan's twin, and Jonathan Horton were chosen Saturday after the conclusion of the Olympic trials.

"It was just a huge weight off my shoulders, relief," said Morgan Hamm, who tore a muscle in his chest eight months ago. "I feel like I've had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get here."