Shawn Johnson: Can Olympic Star Return to Gymnastics After Ski Accident?

Just two years removed from Olympic Gold, Shawn Johnson is attempting one of the sport's most improbable comebacks.

Back in January, Johnson fell and injured her knee while skiing with her parents. It seemed innocent enough at the time, but apparently, Johnson had torn her ACL.

Her dreams of competing in back to back Olympics looked dead in the water. After all, a comeback in gymnastics is already difficult enough.

Tacking on a serious injury like this? Impossible.

Only thing is, Johnson doesn't think so.

After taking a six month hiatus from training due to the injury, Johnson is training harder than ever. Her body constantly aches as she forces herself to train. Six days a week. Four hours a day.  Johnson has a lot to overcome if she hopes to return to Olympic form, but Johnson might just have the drive to do it.

Early Life

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BEIJING - AUGUST 19: Shawn Johnson of the USA celebrates after competing in the Women's Beam Final at the National Indoor Stadium on Day 11 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 19, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Even at a young age, Johnson was far different from the typical gymnast. While most gymnasts train 40 hours a week and study with private tutors, Johnson trained half the time and was an honor roll student.

It wasn't until after the Olympics that Johnson dropped out of Valley High School and headed to Hollywood for her appearance on Dancing with the Stars.

Meeting Her Trainer

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BEIJING - AUGUST 15: Shawn Johnson of the United States hugs her coach Liang Chow after her routine on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics event at the National Indoor Stadium on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Be

When Johnson was only six years old, former Chinese national gymnast Liang Chow decided to open up a gymnastics school in Johnson's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.

It was obvious Johnson had a special gift from a young age. She qualified for Junior International Elite status on her first try in 2005 and placed third at the U.S. Classic later that year.

In 2006, her all-around score was not only good for first place, it also dwarfed the score for all senior elite competitors. Johnson won four golds at the Pan American games and three more at the world championships before taking her aim at Olympic glory.

2008 Olympic Glory

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BEIJING - AUGUST 19: Shawn Johnson of the USA competes in the Women's Beam Final at the National Indoor Stadium on Day 11 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 19, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

For those who don't remember, Shawn Johnson may have been the most inspiring athlete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The tiny 16-year old guided the U.S. to a silver medal by competing admirably in all four events during team competition. She also won the silver medal in the individual all-around competition, helping the U.S. take silver and gold in gymnastics for the first time ever.

However, her shining moment had to be on the balance beam. Johnson showed tremendous grace, balance and athleticism in earning the gold medal.
 

Making the Talk Show Rounds

Since leaving Beijing with Olympic glory, Johnson has seen her star rise. Johnson appeared on Oprah, Regis and Kelly, The Late Show, The Tonight Show and many others. She cashed in on her fame by doing commercials for McDonalds, CoverGirl and Coca-Cola. She even competed on Dancing with the Stars...and won.

With so much fame and recognition, many people would be happy to take their 15 minutes and move on.

Not Johnson. Her love for the sport outweighs the Hollywood lifestyle, and that will help greatly in her quest for back-to-back gold.

The Stalker

Unfortunately, fame can also bring certain unwanted elements. On March 25th of 2009, 34-year old Robert O'Ryan was charged with the felony stalking of Johnson. The police found O'Ryan with love letters to the 17-year old Johnson as well as duct tape, zip ties and a handgun.

Reportedly, O'Ryan believed that Johnson connected to him telepathically and told him they would have a child together. Johnson's parents filed for a restraining order against O'Ryan, but that's an immense emotional burden to have as a teenage girl.

Charitable Work

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IOWA CITY, IA - DECEMBER 12: Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson (R) and actor Ashton Kutcher are honored during halftime of the Iowa-Iowa State college basketball game on December 12, 2008 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Johnson and Kutcher, bot

Johnson has proven to be as inspiring outside the gymnasium as she is inside of it. Teaming with Ashton Kutcher, the duo campaigned to raise money to repair homes that had been damaged due to flooding.

She has also teamed with Crest to promote healthy dental care and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis to raise awareness of women's cancer.

Trouble Ahead

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BEIJING - AUGUST 15: Shawn Jonhson of the United States performs her floor routine in the artistic gymnastics event at the National Indoor Stadium on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Gett

Allow me to explain Johnson's biggest roadblock in her return for the 2012 Olympics. The ACL is one of four ligaments in the knee, and it is essential for lateral rotational movements. Basically, her knee won't be able to turn like it did prior to the skiing accident.

On the highest level of competition against healthy competitors who have trained all their life for this moment, Johnson might simply be overmatched. While I don't want to rule her out completely, a return to top Olympic form would be nothing short of a miracle.

Competition on the U.S. Team

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BEIJING - AUGUST 20: Nastia Liukin of the United States performs on the beam in the Gymnastics Gala at the National Indoor Stadium during Day 12 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 20, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Imag

While Johnson's intentions to return to the Olympic stage have already been made clear, the rest of the U.S. team is still somewhat hazy. Bridget Sloan will be returning as the nations's veteran leader, and she may be joined by 2008 all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin.

When asked about a possible return for the London games, Liukin said, "Yes, I won all-around gold. Nothing can compare to that. At the same time, I still have so much more to give to the sport. I'm learning new skills at 20. I'm calling it Part Two of my career. I want to keep competing for another three years."

The wild card may be Jordyn Wieber. The 13-year old Wieber won the all-around gold medal at juniors last year and looks ready to take her talent to the global stage. With three healthy and confirmed teammates, Johnson's prospects are looking grim.

Precedent

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1984: Mary Lou Retton of the United States in action during the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: Steve Powell /Allsport

There has never been an situation quite like this one.  A very young medalist returning from a horrible injury simply hasn't been seen before. While plenty of people have won back to back medals on the balance beam (Eva Bosakova and Olga Korbut for example), no gymnast has returned from such a serious injury.

One similar case may be that of Mary Lou Retton. Retton suffered a knee injury while performing a routine at a Houston-area gymnastics center. While it was nowhere near as serious as Johnson's ACL surgery, it did come soon before the 1984 Olympics. That year, Retton won five medals, including a .05 point win for the all-around title.

Can It Be Done?

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BEIJING - AUGUST 15: Shawn Johnson of the United States waves to the crowd after winning the silver medal in the women's individual all-around artistic gymnastics final at the National Indoor Stadium on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 1

It would be a lie to say this comeback will be easy. It might even be a stretch to call is probable. Johnson will try to overcome her devastating knee injury while putting in half the hours of her healthy competition.

Still, with an upbeat attitude and strong work ethic, Johnson might just summon the strength to mount one of sports most improbable comebacks.