[quote]New York, N.Y. � World gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines has a minor leg injury that shouldn't disrupt her plans for the Beijing Olympics.
Johnson is wearing a small walking boot for two weeks after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in her right shin. The injury could have turned into a stress fracture if left untreated.
Johnson was examined after feeling pain similar to shin splints in her right leg. Doctors initially put her in a cast, but removed it within a few days after determining it wasn't needed. She's doing physical therapy at the gym each day, and was able to make a trip to New York with the rest of the U.S. team that won gold at the world championships last month.
In addition to an appearance on the "Today" show, Johnson and her teammates are meeting local gymnasts Saturday at Madison Square Garden, site of next year's American Cup. The prestigious international competition kicks off the Olympic season.
The 15-year-old Johnson is only the fourth U.S. woman to win the world all-around title. She won three gold medals at the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, adding the title on floor exercise to the golds she won in the all-around and team competition.[/quote]
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/SPORTS13/71026036
Those boots work good at cushioning. My friend who plays soccer wore one for a while for an ankle sprain and didn't have to use crutches.
Shawn Johnson shin feels back to normal and she's planning to have fun and go big:
[quote]"My shin is all back to normal," said Johnson, who will turn 16 on Jan. 19. "It wasn't injured; it was just more of a prevention thing. I am back to normal training. I am working really hard and can't wait for the season to start."
Johnson said she will travel to Texas later this month for the first of several U.S. national team training camps taking place this year. She also hopes to defend her American Cup title on March 1 in New York.
Johnson said she is also looking forward to the Visa (U.S.) Championships in Boston in June; the U.S. Olympic Trials in Philadelphia, also in June; and the Beijing Olympics in August. [/quote]
[quote]"In the next few weeks and all the way up until competition, I really have nothing planned except for training," she said. "That is the most important thing right now, and everything else comes second."
Johnson, whose other 2007 victories included all-around titles at the American Cup, the Pan American Games and the U.S. Championships, said she plans to upgrade her routines this year.
"I am working on a few new skills for this season, but as for details of what they are, I'm not sure if I can quite say yet," she said. "But hopefully I'll have some sweet surprises for this year."
Johnson said she intends to stick to her most optimistic New Year's resolution throughout 2008.
"My biggest New Year's resolution was to make sure that, no matter how this year turns out, I give everything I've got, because I know that
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