Gymnast Liukin seeking a return to her spot on top. - San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA)

Byline: Elliott Almond

Aug. 16--Super-hyped gymnast Nastia Liukin has occasional longings for anonymity.

'I am proud that people are watching' but sometimes it's too much, she said last winter.

Suddenly Liukin, 17, can relax because the sport has found someone else to canonize. Shawn Johnson of Des Moines has emerged as the new favorite for the U.S. championships this week at HP Pavilion.

In the disposable world of gymnastics, last year's It Girl has been relegated to past tense. When Liukin competes tonight in her first all-around competition since suffering an ankle injury in October, she will have to prove herself again.

Nastia's father and coach, Valeri, welcomes the challenge.

'This is what made me better,' said the four-time Olympic medalist as a member of the 1988 Soviet team. 'I always watched my back every single day. The more we have competition, the better we become as a country.'

And he's not worried about how his daughter will respond.

'It's just like me,' he said. 'Second place is not enough for her. She is very fragile looking, but you'd be surprised -- there is a tiger inside.'

Since 2003, the 5-foot-1, 90-pound Liukin has been a force on the beam and bar because she is one of the world's most graceful competitors. She is the two-time reigning U.S. all-around champion, a six-time world medalist and an eight-time Pan American Games medal winner.

Because of age limits, she was ineligible to compete at the 2004 Olympics, where training partner and friend Carly Patterson won the all-around gold medal. But the next year, she barely lost to teammate Chellsie Memmel for the world all-around title.

As the awards accumulated, so did the recognition. Newsweek named Liukin one of the 24 people to watch in 2007, and she enjoys sponsorship deals with Visa, AT&T and Adidas. Liukin even has a line of gymnastics equipment.

But what the gymnast wants most is an Olympic gold medal. Whether she defends her national title in San Jose this week is secondary to what happens next year in Beijing.

The top performers this week qualify for the 2007 world championships, Sept. 2-9 in Stuttgart, Germany.

'If I make the Olympic Games, it would be 20 years from when my dad made it,' she noted.

Valeri Liukin won two gold medals in Seoul, South Korea. The year before, his wife, Anna, won a world title in rhythmic gymnastics.

They came to Texas with their only child in the early 1990s. There, they opened the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano with Patterson's coach Yevgeny Marchenko.

Liukin, who began competing at age 6, never felt pressured to participate despite her lineage. 'Ever since I started gymnastics, my heart has really been in it,' she said.

But just because the parents were world-class competitors, it is not easy. Her schedule includes training seven hours a day in her father's gym. Liukin, who graduated from Springs Creek Academy this year, has relied on Patterson because 'she's probably the only person who knows what I am going through right now.'

Liukin continued, 'Sometimes when you're in competition, it is routines, routines, routines, all day, every day. Some days it is hard, but you do expect that from a sport like this.'

Her ascent has impressed legendary coach Bela Karolyi, whose wife, Marta, is the U.S. team coordinator.

'It is a unique combination with a wonderful body type,' Karolyi said of Liukin's style. 'It is clean, long and very airy. No on can be mentioned in the same page when we are talking about artistry and overall expressive performance.'

At least when she is healthy.

Liukin rolled her ankle four days before the 2006 world championships in Denmark while doing a simple trick on a trampoline. Her father blamed himself for putting an extra mat down that resulted in the sprain. 'I was trying to save her legs for the worlds,' he said. 'She is very good at the hard stuff but not good at the easy stuff because she is not cautious enough.'

Liukin missed the all-around competition in Denmark, but still won silver medals with the team and on the uneven bars. She also won silver on the bars and beam -- her favorite events -- at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro last month.

But Johnson, 15, who won the all-around, beam and uneven bars, captured the spotlight in Brazil.

Liukin could appreciate her position. Four years ago, she and her Pan Am teammates received a call from the White House after winning the title. When Liukin, then 13, started to introduce herself to President Bush, he interrupted, 'Oh, you're my girl from Texas.'

That kind of fame might be fleeting. But as her ankle improves, Liukin hopes she can receive another congratulatory call from the White House next summer.

Contact Elliott Almond at ealmond@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5865.

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