Gold finally comes for Johnson in the Beam

Shawn Johnson on the beam

       If she did not win gold in the Beam tonight, Shawn Johnson of the United States would have taken four silver medals back to her home state of Iowa. However, Johnson, the sprightly 16-year-old gymnast did not miss her last chance of Olympic gold. She scored 16.225 after a flawless routine, two-tenths of a point more than the silver medalist, Johnson's compatriot Nastia Liukin.

                   Johnson was outscored by Liukin in the Women's Individual All-Around on August 15 and was forced to settle for her second silver medal. Her first was the United States' second place in the Women's Team event, which was won by China. Johnson went within a hair's breadth of winning gold in the Women's Floor Exercise on August 17 – she was 0.150 of a point behind the gold medalist Sandra Izbasa of Romania.