That’s the buzz on the world wide web after she was quoted as saying:
… The national championships next August in Dallas and world championships next October in London appear doubtful, she said.
“To compete next year, I’d have to start training directly after the tour,” Johnson, 16, of West Des Moines said Friday by phone before a performance of the national Tour of Gymnastics Superstars in East Lansing, Mich.
“It would be hard to get into the kind of shape I’m happy with. If I did come back, I’d want to be better than ever, even if it takes three years. I’d want to be more perfect and precise.”
Johnson said she’s unsure when or whether she will return to competition. …
Gymnastics: Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson unlikely to compete in 2009 – Des Moines Register
Sounds like Shawn might have said too much, too soon.
Her Mom and agent Sheryl Shade are trying to backpedal on that statement.
20 comments ↓
It doesn’t sound like she’s retiring, just taking some time off which could be a good thing. So Maybe she won’t compete at 09 worlds, but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the 2012 olympics for goodness sake.
she is out…bye bye!..i was hoping she wasn’t goin to retire..but after she won the gold on beam i kinda knew!
When Shawn was saying that she didn’t know if she wanted to continue after the Olympics until a month before the Olympics when it started to get really exciting I thought she was going to retire. Pre-Olympic excitement isn’t going to carry anybody for four years.
you could see it on her face after the aa theft at the Olys.
tco there was no theft. nastia won the all-around fair and square, and shawn won the silver fair and square which she should be very proud of.
There was a theft in the AA? Where?
You may not agree with me. Especially if you are a Nastia minion…or someone more interested in fashion than athletics. But it was a theft. And Shawn and Chow feel that way in their hearts. You can see it. Shawn is all good sportsmanship and all…but she knows she got the job done and the Nellie Kim Liukin score cheaters, god-#$! commie Russians…along with the anti-American French shmucks who would be talking German (or Russian) if it weren’t for Americans from the midwest having the balls to fight wars, teamed up with the fashionistas…and stole Shawn’s gold. She is the heart of a real GYMNAST. Nastia needs to go do ballet.
Shawn has a double-double on FX and a full-in at the END of a jam-packed routine. Nastia just has a “giving birth cowboyed” double front…and crosses her legs on all her twists (oh…and she cheats her landings as well…I would take off for those steps.) Nastia is not a real GYMNAST’S gymnast. Shawn rox!
Shawn should retire. You all don’t deserve her.
Nastia deserved to win the AA, just like Shawn deserved to win beam.
I can’t say I’m surprised to read this. I always figured Shawn was more like a Mary Lou Retton type. Very powerful and at 16, not much more competing after a successful olympics. How sad that her mother and agent have to put their own spins on her statement immediately. It should be Shawn’s decision.
I can see how both Shawn and Nastia could be burnt out. Trying to top the success they both saw in 2008 could be pretty hard in 2012.
get over yourself already tco, it’s over and done.
TCO, you do realize the sport is called ARTISTIC gymnastics, right? Shawn is a great tumbler and athlete, but she didn’t deserve to win an ARTISTIC gymnastics AA gold medal. Not even on beam, with her shoulders in her knees on both the standing tuck and full. Not to mention she can’t dance and looks like a complete robot. Plenty of room for deductions there. And you talk about the HEART of a REAL gymnast? A REAL gymnast who loves gymnastics with all their heart would NEVER even consider retiring unless a ton of injuries FORCED them to leave the sport they love more than anything. Shawn is just another Carly. Spoiled Americans who are naturally talented, and they get some success and call it quits because they don’t have the drive that a REAL gymnast like Khorkina or Chusovitina have, who would continue on, success or not, or even Sacramone who competed despite injuries, and is now probably too beat up to continue.
I need a time turner like Hermione.
“I need a time turner like Hermione.” Going back to tell Shawn to stick those landings?
She sticks better than Nastia. Nastia, usually tricks her landings by walking after landing or by landing legs far apart and pulling together. A small separation is allowed, but hers is far. And the God %&$ cowboy!!! GRRRR. Mega duduction on that!
walking after landing: it’s called walking off the podium. legs far and pulling together, that’s not a trick, that’s just not perfect foot position. a trick would be turning a step into a salute, which nastia does not do. and what does shawn stick better? her bars dismount in the all-around which her legs were far apart for? that’s what i thought, you can’t count that.
http://www.gymnast.com/articles/article/news/20081110/johnson_says_she_ll_go_for_2012-17565.html;jsessionid=2C4DC327F4752243B3045926D589E7EB
I “want” to compete in London 2012, too.
But it will be difficult for Shawn to go back to training as compared with the many other offers she will get.
The score cheaters broke her heart. ?Have fun watching rjthmic. You non-athletes. MAG has an A too….
I agree Shawn deserved the all around and she was cheated on her floor exercise scores in both the all around and event finals, and possibly also on her BB and vault scores in the AA. It was clear the judges didn’t like her gymnastics. Even the TV announcers commented on it.
Leave a Comment