"The tape doesn't lie, 4-foot-10 Shawn Johnson is gymnastics' next 'It' girl" - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20221186/ [quote]When the letter and video arrived a few years back, Martha Karolyi didn't know who Shawn Johnson was. "I believe this kid will help the U.S. team,'' Liang Chow, Johnson's coach, wrote, suggesting Karolyi look at the enclosed highlight tape and see for herself. Quite an audacious statement, considering the U.S. women have stockpiled more gold, silver and bronze than most jewelers over the past four years. A gutsy move, too, for a young coach who had never worked with Karolyi, coordinator for the U.S. women's team.[/quote] [quote]The only child of Doug and Teri, Johnson is delightfully normal. She still goes to the local public school and can be found at football games on Friday nights in the fall - even though practice usually keeps her from getting there until halftime.[/quote] [quote]Though she's not far removed from the days when she was looking up to people - Zmeskal was her favorite - now Johnson is the one getting letters from young gymnasts. One little girl even did a school project on her; Johnson sent the girl one of her leotards.[/quote] [quote]"Teri and I often ask, 'What did we do to deserve this?' We don't really do anything,'' Doug Johnson said. "We don't force anything on her, and Chow is pretty much the same way. She's having fun at gymnastics.''[/quote] Top 2 from Nationals get named to Worlds, others get named later when the U.S. has to name them.