The U.S. women’s gymnastics team showed up to the National Indoor Stadium Sunday night ready to shine with a sure plan to qualify for the team final.  Well, they qualified, but not with the same plan they had when they entered the stadium.

As team USA walked out onto the floor their was distress showing on their faces, but no one watching knew why.  Next, Samantha Peszek, who was supposed to compete in all four events, never took off her warm-up suit.  What was going on?

The announcers searched for answers, panning from coach, to Peszek, to her mother and back. As we later found out fifteen minutes into the competition, Peszek had sprained her ankle during warm up on the floor and did not seem to be competing at all.

The team was clearly stressed by the sudden change in plan, which was first obvious on their faces, but later even more evident when the first two U.S. gymnasts to compete, Bridget Sloan and Alicia Sacramone, stepped out of bounds during their floor routines.

Sacramone’s performance on the floor, which is usually her specialty, cost her a chance at competing in the individual finals.  The U.S. team seemed to  be crumbling right before our eyes.

Peszek did compete in the uneven bars and cleanly landed her dismount despite the painful ankle sprain she endured just a couple hours before. However, Peszek’s teammates, Chellsie Memmel and Nastia Liukin were not as lucky.  Both had uncharacteristic falls in the event.

With Peszek out of three of the four events, the team was without a throwaway score on floor, vault and beam, which meant there was no room for mistakes if they wanted to go on to the team finals.

By the final rotation, the balance beam, team USA got it together and it might have been thanks to the pep talk Sacramone gave before her teammates took to the  beam.  They all nailed their routines. 

In the end, team USA was in second place, despite an uncharacteristic performance by the defending champions. The girls huddled with their arms around each other and gave words of encouragement to one another and showing the fans watching on tv that team USA would be back, as the team to beat, in the finals. Watch out China!

As the Olympic games get closer I keep thinking back to some of my favorite moments in Olympic history that I’ve had the opportunity to watch unfold on television. One of the most inspiring moments took place on the track in Atlanta at the 1996 games and involved a certain USA star and a flashy pair of gold shoes. 

With one Olympic gold medal already won in the 400m, Michael Johnson approached the 200m mark relaxed and focused. All eyes were on him as he took his mark. He had set the world record on that very track in the 200m during the trails on June 23, 2006 with a time of 19.66, but no one had ever won the 400m and the 200m before. Could he do it?

The answer was clear from the moment the gun went off as Johnson raced out of the gate ahead of the competition.  He pulled away as the runners came through the turn and into the top of the home straight-away. Mike Marsh, Jeff Williams and Carl Lewis raced to keep up through the final meters, but Johnson kicked it into high gear and blew them away in a jaw-dropping performance that left viewers wondering if this man really was human.

His time of 19.32 seconds has not only never been surpassed, it hasn’t even been threatened. He smashed the world record in the 200m while also becoming the first to double, bring home the gold in both the 400m and the 200m. 

Michael Johnson and his flashy gold shoes flew by the competition in his breathtaking 200m in the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta and his performance there will always be one of my favorite Olympic moments.

Men, 200 m

1. Michael Johnson        USA  19,32 WR

2. Frankie Fredericks     NAM  19,68

3. Ato Boldon               TRI  19,80

4. Obadele Thompson   BAR  20,14

5. Jeff Williams            USA  20,17

6. Ivan Garcia              CUB  20,21

7. Patrik Stevens          BEL  20,27

8. Mike Marsh              USA  20,48

What are some of your favorite Olympic moments in history?