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November 22, 2008 7:16:15 AM CST

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City Rebuilds Flooded Gym for Gymnast

Posted Jun 19, 08 11:31 AM CDT in Sports 

(Newser) – When storms inundated Shawn Johnson's hometown of West Des Moines, they also left a foot of water in her gym. But the 16-year-old couldn't use that as an excuse to take a break from workouts: The reigning world champion gymnast was preparing for this week’s Olympic trials, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Johnson's coach is trying to keep her focus on the competition and away from both the floods and the community members who rallied to repair the damaged gym. "I don't think she needs the extra pressure. It's not like football. You can't just go for it. It is so technical and so controlled mentally. We want her to stay calm."

Source Houston Chronicle

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An aerial photograph shows the flooding near the Des Moines River after a levee breach on Saturday, June 14, 2008, in Des Moines, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Kevin Sanders)
With the Olympic trials only days away, rising floodwaters forced world gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson from her gym. About 100 volunteers helped move equipment to safety.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Johnson's parents Teri, left, and Doug were among the 100 volunteers who placed sandbags around her flooding gym and worked to repair the water damage to the floor and equipment.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Shawn Johnson has to keep her focus on the US Gymnastics Olympic trials, not on the flooding in her hometown, says her coach.   (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Shawn Johnson practices her floor routine in preparation for the U.S. Olympic gymnastic trials, Wednesday, June 18, 2008, in Philadelphia. The trials begin today.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
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2008 Beijing Olympics • Iowa • athlete • flooding • gold medal • gymnastics • gymnast • Shawn Johnson


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