“It was a very successful World Championships,” said Martha Karolyi, the U.S. women’s national team coordinator. “The younger generation, combined with the maturity of Nastia and Alicia, did the job we expected them to and we look forward to the challenges for the next year.”

Earlier in the week, the U.S. women won the team title for just the second time and the first time at a World Championships held outside the United States. For Liukin, this is her second world beam title and she also won her second uneven bars silver medal. Johnson won the world all-around and floor exercise titles. Sacramone earned the floor exercise silver and vault bronze medals.

“It was a great week,” said Sacramone, the team captain for the women. “We came and did what we set out to do, win the team title. To win (the team title) at a World Championships outside the USA is really an achievement. I believe we left a good impression heading into the Olympic year.”

In the balance beam event finals, Liukin was the last gymnast to compete and had to beat a 15.900 earned by both Steliana Nistor of Romania and Li Shanshan of China, who tied for the silver. With only a few wobbles, Liukin worked her way back and forth across the beam during her routine that included her front aerial, back handspring layout step-out back-pike pass. With just a step on her two-and-half twisting back dismount, Liukin scored a 16.025 to secure her second world beam title. Johnson had two mishaps on the beam and finished eighth with a 14.475.

“It is such a thrill to be in the event finals and become a world champion,” said Liukin, who also won the world beam title in 2005. “I was excited to go last. I knew I had one of the lowest start values, and I needed to go out and do it big. I was a little nervous because I had a wobble at the beginning, and I knew it might be questionable if I got the gold. I’m just excited to come back and win, and I wanted to prove that the mistakes (earlier in the week) were just flukes.”

Johnson demonstrated her ability to focus and deliver in the floor exercise finals. Putting the balance beam behind her, she gave a rock-solid performance on floor to score a 15.250. Competing second in the finals, she had to wait for the final six, which included 2005 world floor champion and teammate Sacramone. With her usual flash and style, Sacramone was on track when she slipped on the landing of a tumbling pass. Despite coming back and hitting the rest of her routine, her 15.225 dropped her into second behind Johnson. France’s Cassy Vericel was third at 15.125

“In this World Championships, I have experienced everything,” said Johnson. “I have fallen, stuck my landings, everything. It is the best learning experience and it’s been an amazing week. To come back from beam and win was great.”

“It was a little nerve-wracking to see the mistakes the others made and as the last routine, I knew I could get a big score,” said Sacramone. “We couldn’t chalk up for the floor exercise, and when I felt my feet slipping, I threw my shoulders forward to keep my balance.”

Liukin’s gold medal brings her total world medal tally to nine (four gold and five silver), tying the mark of nine world medals held by Shannon Miller, who has earned more world and Olympic medals than any other U.S. gymnast (16 total). Miller, the only U.S. woman to win back-to-back all-around world titles, has five gold, three silver and one bronze world medal to her credit, as well as seven Olympic medals (two gold, two silver and three bronze).

In the three men’s event finals today, the champions were: Leszek Blanik, Poland, vault; Mitja Petkovsek, Slovenia, and Kim Dae Eun, Korea, parallel bars (tie); and Fabian Hambuechen, Germany, horizontal bar.

U.S. gymnastics fans can still enjoy the action from the 2007 World Championships. “USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team presented by AT&T” has post-competition interviews at www.attblueroom.com/teamusa. WCSN has a free, on-demand Web cast of the men’s and women’s medal rounds at www.wcsn.com. For the first time since 2003, gymnastics fans can enjoy coverage of the 2007 World Championships on network TV. NBC Sports is broadcasting a two-hour broadcast on Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. ET. Sponsorship by AT&T has made these three avenues of coverage available to gymnastics enthusiasts.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

2007 World Championships
Stuttgart, Germany
Sept. 9, 2007

Individual event finals

Women’s events
Balance beam
1. Nastia Liukin, Parker, Texas, 16.025
2. Steliana Nistor, Romania, 15.900
2. Li Shanshan, China, 15.900
U.S. finish
8. Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa, 14.475

Floor exercise
1. Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa, 15.250
2. Alicia Sacramone, Winchester, Mass., 15.225
3. Cassy Vericel, France, 15.125

Men’s events
Vault
1. Leszek Blanik, Poland, 16.512
2. Ilie Popescu, Romania, 16.500
3. Ri Se Gwang, People’s Republic of Korea, 16.387

Parallel bars
1. Mitja Petkovsek, Slovenia, 16.250
1. Kim Dae Eun, Korea, 16.250
3. Anton Fokin, Uzbekistan, 16.200

Horizontal bar
1. Fabian Hambuechen, Germany, 16.250
2. Aljaz Pegan, Slovenia, 15.825
3. Hisashi Mizutori, Japan, 15.775