Johnson, Liukin hope to play different tune

BEIJING – It’s time to hear another national anthem.

The Chinese anthem has been played three times in the National Indoor Stadium, as China’s men and women have dominated the gymnastics competition so far, winning both team finals and celebrating Yang Wei’s men’s all-around title. The hosts’ anthem is becoming so familiar that I think I could sing along with the Chinese.

Can another country get a different anthem played? On Friday, the Americans will get another chance in the women’s all-around finals – their greatest opportunity yet to win gold at the Beijing Games.

Shawn Johnson, the 2007 world champion, has shown that she is a solid performer and has the pedigree to win the Olympic all-around title. Teammate Nastia Liukin is equally talented, with an elegant style that all gymnastics enthusiasts can admire. She will give Johnson a challenge for the gold as well.

Now that the team competition is behind them, Johnson and Liukin must be selfish and go out and win. There will be fewer high fives and hugs and more emphasis on staying in your own head.

Johnson probably won’t even notice what’s going on around her. I don’t know if she will be sprinting back and forth as she did before her floor routine at the Olympic trials, but she will keep the intensity high, just as she does in her daily four-hour training sessions back home in Iowa.

“I feel a little pressure, but not too much,” Johnson said. “The whole USA is behind us, and they are our greatest fans.”

Liukin could upset Johnson if she focuses on her landings and somehow finds a way to clean up her highly difficult bar dismount. Her dominant events are by far the uneven bars, which she is hoping to win in the individual event finals, and the balance beam, in which she owns a world title. Each tenth of a point matters, and that mentality will allow Liukin to stay in the game against Johnson. Mistakes on her landing, steps out of bounds and shaky elements will only lessen Liukin’s chances of catching her.

I won’t be remiss and ignore the Chinese. Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan were both crucial members of China’s gold-medal team and are strong competitors on the bars and beam. They have proven that they are not only physically ready to dominate the field but are also mentally tough to overcome any obstacle. Neither the overly excitable crowd nor the pressure of achieving individual Olympic success in front of their compatriots has shaken their focus.

The American women won’t count out Yang and Jiang. If they do, we all will be listening to the Chinese anthem for a fourth time.