Memmel's routine creates stir

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By Ryan O'Halloran

PHILADELPHIA — Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin secured spots on the U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team Sunday night, finishing 1-2 in the trials by winning three of the four individual events.

That of course was expected. Johnson has lost only one competition since joining the senior events, and that was to Liukin.

But it was Chellsie Memmel who merited the only standing ovation of the weekend at Wachovia Center.

Closing the show with a nearly flawless floor exercise routine, Memmel - a year removed from major shoulder surgery - clinched third place over Sam Peszek.

"That was awesome," said Memmel, who turns 20 on Monday. "Just being last up and doing a great floor route and seeing everybody standing up, it made me feel so great that everybody is behind me."

But Memmel will have to wait to punch her ticket to Beijing.

Only Johnson (127.650 points and wins in the balance beam and floor exercise) and Liukin (125.850 points and a win in the uneven bars) made the Olympic team.

In a system hatched by team coordinator Marta Karolyi, the final four spots will be determined at a selection camp next month in Texas.

Memmel and Peszek are among the 10 gymnasts vying for the remaining positions along with Jana Bieger, Chelsea Davis, Ivana Hong, Mattie Larson, Corrie Lothrop of Gaithersburg, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan and Shayla Worley.

Karolyi contradicted herself after the event. First she said, "If it were up to me, I would probably name nobody because I want to select the team at a closer date because that shows us what competition shape they're in just before we leave for the games."

Moments later, Karolyi gave the impression that Memmel, Peszek and Sacramone are in, leaving seven gymnasts for one spot.

"Chellsie was excellent," Karolyi said. "She showed she's back where she was when she won the [2005] world championships all-around title. [She will receive] really high consideration."

Karolyi also complimented the performances of Peszek, who finished second in the floor exercise, and Sacramone, who won the vault and is expected to be the team's captain.

"Very nice and extremely consistent performance from Sam Peszek," she said. "She showed me she's one person who we can absolutely have on this team. ... The team would not be the same without an Alicia Sacramone. Her two main events [vault and floor] were extremely good."

Using the final results as a barometer, Hong and Bieger are the favorites to claim the final spot.

Johnson made her all-around win look easy. At just 16 years old, she has become an instant crowd favorite with her effortless beam routine and impressive floor exercise efforts.

"It feels amazing to have [the Olympics] finally be a reality and to know I've earned the spot and I proved I am the person everybody has talked about," she said. "It feels great to know it's real, and that's 100 times greater."