WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)—World gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson expected to
be back in her own gym Sunday, two days after rising floodwaters left a foot of
water in the building.
About 100 volunteers spent 17 hours at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute
on Saturday, cleaning out the gym and building a new gymnastics floor so Johnson
can train there. The floor isn’t an Olympic regulation floor, but with the
Olympic trials only a few days away, Johnson’s coach, Liang Chow, is trying to
disrupt her routine as little as possible.
Johnson trained Friday and Saturday at Iowa State, about 30 miles north of
her hometown.
Being in her own gym also allows Johnson to continue training on
Janssen-Fritsen equipment, which will be used at the Beijing Olympics.
Janssen-Fritsen is a European manufacturer, and few U.S. gyms have its
equipment.
Johnson leaves Monday for the Olympic trials, which begin Thursday in
Philadelphia. The top two—expected to be Johnson and Nastia Liukin—
automatically qualify for the Beijing squad, with the remaining four members
named after a July 20 selection camp.