Time to Determine the Best of the Best

They push one another to do better during their training sessions each month at the Karolyi Ranch just north of Houston, and they cheer each other on at competitions around the world.

But this week, the top female gymnasts in the United States square off at the Visa Championships in Boston to crown a national champion and, just as importantly, take the first step toward selecting the 2008 Olympic team.

Two dozen elite gymnasts will compete for the coveted all-around title. And most eyes will be on defending U.S. champion Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, Iowa, and 2005-06 U.S. champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Tex.

They are a contrast in styles and expertise, with the powerfully compact Johnson, 16, excelling on the floor exercise and balance beam, and the lithe, elegant Liukin, 18, peerless on the uneven bars and formidable on the beam, as well. But as has become custom for the U.S. women's national team since Martha Karolyi took charge in 2001, they are each other's biggest fans.

The top 12 finishers in the all-around competition (which encompasses results on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor) are guaranteed a spot in the U.S. Olympic trials in Philadelphia later this month. U.S. gymnastics officials reserve the right to invite a few others to the trials regardless of their finish in the overall -- particularly if it's an athlete deemed an Olympic contender because of her skill in one or two events rather than the full array.

Veteran national team member Alicia Sacramone, 20, is a case in point -- unlikely to vie for the all-around title but a stalwart in what has traditionally been the United States' weaker event, the vault.

While the much-anticipated showdown between Johnson and Liukin is sure to rivet the NBC television audience (Saturday's competition will be aired live), Karolyi may well end up with a headache as she starts the process of winnowing such a deep, talented field to the six-woman Beijing-bound team.

Insiders say the United States is sufficiently loaded with talent to field at least two Olympic squads. Of the 24 competing in Boston, 10 were members of the U.S. team that won the 2007 world championships.

That means the final cut will largely come down to timing: Which athletes are injury-free and peaking at the right time? The key is emerging from Boston and Philadelphia without incident -- particularly in the case of Liukin, who missed much of 2007 with injury.

Liukin, who is coached by her father, 1988 Russian Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin, is performing what's considered the world's most difficult routine on the uneven bars, and her presence on the squad is critical for the country's hope of winning team gold.

China, which has supplanted Russia as the Americans' chief rival on the world stage, is exceptional on the uneven bars and balance beam.

"China is our biggest competition, and knowing we are going to their home turf gives us a little bit of pressure," Johnson said recently. "We're going to be working harder than ever."

-- Liz Clarke