Shawn Won the Dance!

Shawn Johnson deserves the Dancing With the Stars trophy. She worked hard for it and she really is a great dancer. Additionally, as compared to the other two contenders, she is a star.

People voted for Shawn because they love her and believe in her. She is just the epitome of America's sweetheart. She can be anyone's favorite. A sell-out to children, teens, and grown-ups. She is wholesome, clean, refreshing.

Earlier in this blog, I voiced out my support for Shawn and she did it. I'm so happy for the outcome of Dancing With the Stars -- the first season I ever watched the entirety of. It was great.

Shawn is my Favorite

Shawn Johnson is my favorite in Dancing with the Stars. Compared to the women dancers on the show-- the professionals or the "stars", Shawn does not look the part with her rather stocky figure, But when she dances, she's all grace and finesse. I get mesmerized by her.

I know she puts her heart in every move and that's what makes her special. Her years of training in gymnastics has honed her to be focused, attentive to detail, balanced, and graceful under pressure. And of course, her smile is always there.

And the judges agree: 9-9-9.

Shawn's Gold

Even if I knew she already won it, I had to watch it...I had to see her when she finally receive her gold.

Again, I stayed up last night to watch the women's gymnastics. I wanted to see Shawn Johnson in her victory. A young girl who has done outstandingly in this year's Olympics but never got the prize. Well, she did, but not the big one, not the one she deserves. In my mind, Shawn Johnson is a champion, gold medal or not. And I have to see it finally around her neck.

They say that the face is the mirror to someone's heart. And I believe that. With Shawn Johnson, you see youth, beauty, optimism, confidence, sunshine. See her do gymnastics, and you would see exceptional talent, dedication, mastery, purpose.

At her young age, we should learn from Shawn Johnson. Smiling it all through, no matter what the outcome of the game is. If you keep focused and keep doing your best, you will reach your goal. It may not be in the beginning or in the middle of the road but it would happen before your journey is over.

In case of Shawn, it happened in the final event. And what a way to end an Olympics.

Nastia Liukin: Claiming Her Destiny

I stayed up late last night, 1:14 AM, to watch the women's all-around competition on NBC up to the awarding ceremony. It made me cry.

Nastia Liukin deserved it. She did so well than anybody else. Shawn Johnson did her best. I like Shawn and I thought she would win it. Shawn's track record, consistency, and strength is just incomparable to no one. But last night, Nastia, stepped up to the plate. It was her moment, her stage -- the one she had been waiting for and worked for all her life. I have never seen Nastia so confident, so graceful, so precise. Last night in Beijing, Nastia claimed her rightful place in the history of gymnastics-- following the footstep of her father -- a second generation Olympic gold medalist.

Destiny took place last night and I witnessed it. I think that's what made me cry.

A Gymnast's Fiasco

It must be hard to be in the shoes of U.S. gumnast Alicia Sacramone, right now. Imagine being in the headlines because you pulled your team down. What a disappointment. You can't cry for yourself because the shame is much bigger.

Four years ago, Sacramone did not make it to Athens because she fell out of the balance beam. I saw a footage on this during the U.S. gymnastics trials. But now, it's the same balance beam that caused her to stumble. Her mount is too ambitious? I would guess so. Too crushed to perform for the floor exercise? I would think so.

The domino effect: Nastia Liukin and the ever-expolosive Shawn Johnson could not pull back the team in front of China as they both fell out of bounce of their rather stellar floor exercise routines.

Sacramone's hurdle now is how to get past the ugly memory of last night.

Hope for the US Women's Gymnastics

Sunday night I saw USA Women's Gymnastics Team compete for the finals. The impression I had for all of them is that they were all tired. I heard time and again that before the big event in Beijing, these girls have worked so hard to the extent of injuring themselves. So last Sunday, they all looked like wounded soldiers to me -- with bandages wrapped around their knees and ankles. One may even suspect they are not physically fit to do the dangerous routines that could hurt them more.

I watched the trials for the US delegation to the Olympics two months ago. It saddened me not to see some familiar faces in the team. After the trials, only the top two were selected -- Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin -- the rest had to go to the selection camp. More gruelling training over there, I'm sure.

Last Sunday, it was the first time I saw Liukin had a bad finish during a routine. And it had to be in the Olympics. This one is on the uneven bars. After what looked like landing in both feet, she fell, her back to the floor. I only saw the replay as the commentators talked about it.

Hopefully tonight, the team would have brighter faces and more sprint. It trailed by a large margin from China but one authority on gymnastics says it's okay. Because the team has no pressure coming to the finals, they would do well. Let's see.