When she's not rehearsing a routine, Johnson is on the move by running in place or bouncing on a vault springboard.

Across the gym, Nastia Liukin, who turns 19 in October, has a more measured pace but displays unrivaled flexibility as she moves efficiently on each apparatus.

When more than a dozen gymnasts line up by height to salute women's team coordinator Martha Karolyi and her staff, the 4-8 Johnson and 5-3 Liukin are on opposite sides of the human chain. They are separated by age, physical stature and distinct strengths.

Yet both have the potential to win gold in all-around in this summer's Beijing Olympics. They will compete in the Visa national championships today and Saturday in Boston.

Having two highly regarded Olympic gold-medal contenders is a luxury for the USA, the defending world champion. "I don't see any negatives," Karolyi says. "Strong competition between the girls definitely leads to progress for both of them. It's a hearty competition … when they're doing their routines, each of them wants to be the No. 1. That's good."

As the Olympics near, their rivalry is the talk of the sport. "It's one of those things people like to make, kind of like, drama out of," Johnson says. But it's a friendly competition, both say.

"We think it's kind of funny that people always try to make such a big deal and make controversy over us … we are really good friends," Johnson says. "We read in some magazines that people think we're enemies. It's not true. We text message each other all the time when we're at home."

The friendship is masked by the gymnasts' intensity. "You can kind of call it your game face," Liukin, of Parker, Texas, says.

Several times a year, Johnson and Liukin train together at the center, but they have virtual blinders on during workouts and are oblivious to their surroundings.

"Of course, when you're in the gym you're not super friendly," Liukin says. "I need to be focused."

Their efforts have been rewarded with an impressive list of achievements. Johnson is the defending national and world all-around champion; Liukin beat Johnson by less than half a point at the Tyson American Cup in March and has fully recovered from injuries that slowed her last year.

Liukin won national all-around titles in 2005 and 2006. She has won nine world medals in the last three years, tying two-time Olympian Shannon Miller for most by a U.S. women's gymnast.

Johnson's routines are packed with powerful tumbling. She's a 21st century Mary Lou Retton who is perfecting one of the world's tougher vaults — a Yurchenko mount with 21/2 twists.

Liukin combines high difficulty with the fluidity and artistry of a ballerina, uncommon these days in a sport that increasingly emphasizes tougher acrobatic skills.

Few gymnasts can match Liukin's difficulty and execution on the uneven bars, the event in which her father and coach, Valeri, won Olympic gold for the Soviet Union 20 years ago.

"I couldn't even imagine trying to do the things she does," teammate Alicia Sacramone says.

Sacramone says Johnson is full of spunk and power, and Liukin's routines are a work of art.

"They're so different, but the outcome is the same," Sacramone says. "It's still great gymnastics."

Enlarge By Stew Milne, US Presswire This multiple exposure photo shows American gymnast Shawn Johnson on the balance beam. Johnson and fellow U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin both will look to take home the gold in the all-around competition in Beijing.

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