“Do I even go out and compete? Do I just throw it?”
Moments before Shawn Johnson gave her routine at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing she heard the score from the girl before her and knew Gold was out of her reach. She finished the events with three silvers and one gold which, as great as it was, wasn’t enough to fulfill the expectations that America had for the 16-year-old gymnast.
As she bent down to have the silver medal placed around her head, the event coordinator handing out the medals looked at her and said, “I’m sorry.”