Fourth rotation, up and down

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PHILADELPHIA -- Shawn Johnson was back in the lead going into the final rotation and Nastia Liukin moved into second after Chellsie Memmel stumbled on her floor exercise. Those positions didn’t change after the final rotation.

UP: Nastia Liukin left a good impression on everyone with her elegant floor routine full of intricate dance moves and worthy of her 15.700 mark. Shawn Johnson kept the overall lead though with a vault score of 15.950. Johnson had a big step on her landing but she had the biggest start value with a 6.5.

In an in-your-face response to Johnson’s vault, Alicia Sacramone landed strongly on her vault and posted a 15.900. Her start value was lower than Johnson’s so Johnson’s step didn’t cost her the lead.

DOWN: Bridget Sloan, trying to convince the Olympic selection committee that she can power through her sore knee, flew out of bounds twice on floor exercise and received only a 14.550. And Shayla Worley, who missed the national championships because of a back injury, didn’t make any deep impressions with a below-average vault score of 14.600.

Also Jana Bieger stepped well out of bounds on her first tumbling pass. If a gymnast steps out with only one foot it is a mandatory .1 deduction. If both feet are out, like Bieger, the deduction is .3.

-- Diane Pucin