Shawn Johnson Retires

As many of you know by now, the 2008 Olympian Shawn Johnson has retired from competitive gymnastics. It was announced Sunday afternoon, just days before the VISA Championships and her book is released. As one of Johnson's biggest fans, I know how much her gymnastics will be missed.

Fans were so excited when Shawn made her return to gymnastics in 2011. Things were looking great for Shawn! She had decent routines on 3 out of the 4 events and even made the Pan Ams team, but shortly after; things went downhill. Shawn began having problems with her knee which she injured while skiing. This became a setback for Shawn who could not train at full strength, let along upgrade. Many people suspected her to retire soon, especially when she choose not to compete at the 2012 Secret Classic because she was not ready to compete. Johnson was on the roster for nationals and was scheduled to start on bars.

Obviously, this decision did not happen over night. Shawn's training partner Gabby Douglas told a news reporter she hadn't seen Johnson in a while, which means Shawn had been out of the gym for quite some time. Although I don't want Shawn to retire, I'm happy that she's doing whats best for her. Not to mention, I'd much rather her retire and not even try to make the Olympic team, then give it a shot and not make the team. If she was healthy, she might have had a chance. But being in the condition that she's in, I think she made the right choice to retire. I also appreciate the fact that she did it now, rather then wait to do it during nationals or trials and take the attention away from those who are trying to make the team.  Now we know she's not in it for the publicity, although I'm sure this will help the sales for her book. We wish Shawn the best in whatever she decides to do next.