Olympic gold-medalist Shawn Johnson has announced her retirement from the sport of gymnastics.
The 20-year-old athlete won gold on the balance beam at the 2008 Beijing Games but has decided to retire from the sport after a knee injury ended her bid to compete in the 2012 London Olympics.
She released this statement on Sunday: “I still have the heart, drive, and desire to complete and help the USA at the London Olympics. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that my left knee is not able to sustain the demands of gymnastics any longer. All I can do now is gracefully retire and thank everyone who has believed in me and my journey.”
We expect the season eight winner of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars to find future success.
Johnson is thinking about attending Stanford or Vanderbilt next year and remains upbeat. “I think gymnastics set me up for a pretty exciting future. I’m not going to settle for the easy things.”
Photos: Twitter-Shawn Johnson