No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all. Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing... More...

Nastia Liukin wins Olympics all-around gold!! USA gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson finish gold and silver. Shawn Johnson's release move on the uneven bars: Nastia Liukin celebrates with her dad/coach Valeri Liukin: Nastia beam: great toe-point and form/style: click to the photo gallery in the article for some more picts: http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/08/14/sp-olympics-gymn_0498946286.jpg

Nastia: [QUOTE]"I don't think it's really set in, but I feel like this journey has been so long," Liukin said.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]"Standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true," Liukin said. "Everything pays off at this very moment."[/QUOTE] Valeri Liukin, Nastia's dad/coach: [QUOTE] Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around. There would be no such disappointment for his only child. "It's not possible to describe how proud I am," he said afterward. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE] "It's a feeling I don't think any father can describe," Valeri Liukin said. "I'm very proud of my baby." "Just to know that he was so close to (the all-around gold) and didn't quite achieve it," his daughter said. "And I hope, you know, I cleared away any of those bad little memories for him. I hope that this definitely tops it. I have a few more to go, but it is an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him, out on the floor 20 years after he competed. I think it just means so much more to both of us. I don't know, just all the hard work paying off. All the injuries, tears, blood, rips