Laurie Hernandez dazzles during balance beam qualification
The USA women"s gymnastics team reacts to being selected to compete in the Rio Olympics.
Coach Maggie Haney got former U.S. Olympian Shawn Johnson in touch with current Olympian Laurie Hernandez.(Photo: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)
Shawn Johnson couldnt stop smiling when the U.S. Olympic team was introduced, her grin growing brighter and brighter as the gymnasts were showered with confetti and applause.
As proud as she was to hear her name called eight years ago, it was just as rewarding to see Laurie Hernandez make the Rio team. The up-and-comer and the four-time Olympic medalist have become text and phone buddies these last few months, with Johnson acting as a sounding board whenever the 16-year-old needs it.
Youre yourselfs harshest critic. Being able to see someone elses dream come true and know youve seen them grow, its cool, said Johnson, whose medals at the Beijing Games included a gold on balance beam.
The months leading up to the Olympics might be more nerve-racking for the U.S. women than the Games themselves, what with national team coordinator Martha Karolyi watching their every move and shuffling the lineups in her head accordingly. Even veterans whove been through the process before the world championships get stressed, let alone a first-year senior.
Add to that a knee injury that limited Hernandezs training for six weeks, and its no surprise last years U.S. junior champ was having a rough time in the spring.
Looking for ways to reassure Hernandez and bolster her confidence, longtime coach Maggie Haney made contact with Johnson, one of Hernandezs idols since her early days as a gymnast.
Asked if shed be willing to talk with Hernandez, Johnson didnt hesitate. She might not have known Hernandez then, but she knew how the teenager was feeling.
Absolutely. Ill do it. In two seconds, said Johnson, who also was 16 when she competed in the Olympics. Ive been there, been through it.
Shawn Johnson was in a very similar situation to Laurie Hernandez when she headed to the Beijing Games in 2008.(Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)
Soon after, at the end of a practice, Haney casually told Hernandez to expect a call that night.
I was like, OK, who? Hernandez said. She was like, Youll really like who it is. I was like, OK, who? She was like, Do you want me to tell you?" I was like, Yeah! Tell me.
Once she said it was Shawn, I was high-key freaking out, like, Hernandez paused, sucking in her breath as if she were hyperventilating. Definitely fan-girled over that.
They talked about anything and everything, with Johnson assuring Hernandez that whatever she said would stay between them.
Hernandez isnt lacking for a support system. Shes the youngest of three in a close-knit family, and Haney is a de facto member of that family after coaching her for a decade.
Shes tight with Rio teammates Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. She trains alongside Jazmyn Foberg, the 2014 junior champ who was taken out of the mix for Rio this summer because of an injury.
But sometimes you need someone with no stake in the game. Someone who understands but isnt involved.
Thats where Johnson comes in.
I wanted to be someone she could just vent to, Johnson said. Its hard to tell your family that youre frustrated or you want to quit or you want to eat ice cream or you just want to sleep and miss practice or you dont like your coach. There are so many things. And you cant tell your coach that or Martha. Nobody.
The two communicate mostly by text, though Johnson was in St. Louis for the national championships and in San Jose for the Olympic trials.
After finishing third in nationals, Hernandez was second to three-time world champion Biles in the trials. That kind of steady performance might earn her a spot on all four events during Sundays prelims, which would give her a chance to qualify for the all-around final.
She has incredible potential, Johnson said. I think weve seen her (at nationals and trials) go from being unsure of her position to genuinely owning the floor. I just love the confidence you can see.
When Hernandez hears that kind of praise from someone who was her idol, its her turn to smile.
Being a little girl, looking up to her, and now were kind of like, friends, Hernandez said. Thats crazy.
First an idol, then a friend. And now a fellow Olympian.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2016/07/31/olympics-gymnastics-shawn-johnson-laurie-hernandez-rio/87885922/
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