A bounce in her step

Liukin may get second billing on US gymnastics team, but she's in top form

BEIJING - With her long blond ponytail and elegant lines when performing, Nastia Liukin stands out during the women's gymnastics competition. She thrills with difficult release moves on bars and entrances with fluidity on beam. She twists and bends her lithe, 5-foot-2-inch body with technical precision, executing some of the toughest routines with apparent ease. Through it all, her eyes remain fixed, her lips pressed together in an expression of absolute determination.

"I guess I get this personality from my dad, that if I want something that bad, then I am going to achieve it," said Liukin, referring to her father Valeri, a two-time gold medalist for the Soviet Union. "And I'm not going to give up till I'm there."

Hard to believe Liukin is no longer the "it" girl of international gymnastics, or even the "it" girl on her own team. During the buildup to Beijing, that unofficial title went to her explosive and unfailingly perky US teammate, Shawn Johnson. Liukin describes herself as a "normal competitor" and "more of an underdog" now.

Again, hard to believe. Liukin may not be a magnet for reporters or big endorsement deals, but she brings an impressive résumé in World Championship medals and an impressive lineage to the Games.

When asked if she was somewhat of a forgotten gymnast, the 18-year-old Liukin said, "I feel a little that way, but that's OK with me. I've been the one that's been more of the 'it' girl. I've had those years, but they've passed and I'm almost kind of glad, coming into competitions like this, not having that much pressure.

"I have my own goals and my own dreams and I'm just trying to fulfill them. Mentally, it's a little bit easier, just knowing that all the talk isn't just about you and there are other people out there being talked about."

That is good news for Team USA's chances. Though it is Johnson who has been on the rise recently, Liukin will play as important a role as her in the team finals tomorrow (broadcast tonight at 10:30 on Channel 7). Both Johnson and Liukin will compete on all four apparatus during the finals. Barring any unexpected moves by team coordinator Marta Karolyi, Winchester's Alicia Sacramone will be in three (floor, vault, beam) and Chellsie Memmell will make a cameo on the uneven bars.

In the team finals, the rules are three-up, three-count, meaning the scores of all three gymnasts competing on each apparatus factor into the team totals. For better and worse, three-up, three-count can be a great equalizer. One fall from the beam, one shaky dismount can take a team out of contention.

To defeat the host Chinese, the Americans must execute to near-perfection in every event. The Chinese won the team title at the 2006 World Championships, then narrowly lost the gold to the US last year. Neither squad can afford the shaky performances seen in qualifying Sunday. For Johnson and Liukin, four strong routines are imperative.

"If we do our stuff on three-up, three-count, it will be a different day," said Karolyi. "We will have a very good fight with the Chinese."

Fall and rise

The fall came as a shock to everyone watching Liukin compete on bars during team qualifying at the National Indoor Stadium. The crowd gasped. After a near-flawless routine in an event in which she won a world title in 2005, Liukin overrotated on her dismount and fell backward for an automatic eight-10ths deduction. Liukin found herself lying on the mats beneath the bars, her knees tucked into her chest, as surprised as everyone around her.

"I was sitting there like, 'What am I doing on the floor? I'm not supposed to be here,' " said Liukin.

Upset that she might not qualify for the individual final in bars, Liukin immediately sought advice from her father, who doubles as her coach at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy near their Parker, Texas, home. The pair talked quietly off to the side. Valeri Liukin told his daughter, "Forget about it. There's nothing you can do." When her final score flashed, Liukin had earned a team-best 15.950, a tribute to the difficultly of her routine, which has a high start value of 7.7. Liukin turned back to her father.

"See, it's fine," he said. "You're going to be good."

Valeri has no worries about his daughter executing the routine throughout the remainder of the competition. If she sticks the landing, Liukin has a shot at gold on the uneven bars, which would be a nice complement to the gold her father won on the horizontal bar at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Liukin also will compete in beam and floor in the individual finals, and, along with Johnson, the all-round finals. In qualifying, Johnson finished first in all-around with a cumulative score of 62.725, and Liukin (62.375) was not far behind in second.

"This is the competition we've been preparing for, and we are prepared at this point," said Valeri. "She did an excellent job. I'm very proud of her. This was a silly mistake. This is not a technical mistake. She didn't freak out. She didn't spook herself. She just absolutely missed. It's bad, but it's not a mistake that you need to worry about."

But the last couple of years, there was reason for concern. Injuries interrupted Liukin's training and threatened to hurt her Olympic medal chances. Training for the 2006 World Championships, she suffered a right ankle sprain that required surgery later that year. She aggravated the ankle injury in 2007 and entered the US Nationals with little preparation on floor and vault. Still, Liukin finished third in the all-around and earned a spot on the World Championship team that won the gold medal.

But the lingering ankle injury let others, such as Johnson, take the spotlight. Now, Liukin quietly has returned to top form.

"I know I don't have anything to prove or anything to gain again," said Liukin. "I definitely feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. This is definitely the right time to be at that."

A little bit of awe

While Liukin competes with a serious demeanor that often contrasts sharply with the bubbly personality of Johnson, the top two US gymnasts are more friends than rivals. At least outside the National Indoor Stadium. They are rooming together in the Olympic Village. They want to enjoy the full Olympic experience together.

For Liukin, that experience has exceeded expectations, including the opportunity to meet and pose for a picture with NBA star Dirk Nowitzki. When not competing for the German national team, Nowitzki plays for Liukin's "hometown" Dallas Mavericks.

"Everybody told me you can't experience it fully unless you're there," said Liukin. "That's definitely how it feels, just being there on the podium, looking around and seeing the Olympic rings everywhere. You never forget that you're at the Olympic Games. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but I was thinking about that. I was like, 'Wow, I'm competing at the Olympic Games.' "

For someone who seemed destined from birth to take the Olympic stage, it is hard to believe she would be wowed by her surroundings. But for those who have forgotten all the difficult maneuvers Liukin can complete with grace, the real wow factor may come during the remainder of the women's gymnastics competition.

"I'm definitely trying to enjoy every moment of it," said Liukin. "That's something my dad told me, that the hard part is over - the training, the selection, everything, all that process is done. So, just try and go out there and enjoy it. And don't have any regrets."

A team gold medal would be a perfect place to start.

Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com.