Rotation three, ups and downs

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PHILADELPHIA -- The energy level seemed to drop for almost everybody.

UP: But not for Samantha Peszek who quietly continues to produce steady, error-free gymnastics. She turned in a solid balance beam routine, smiled at her score of 15.800 and watched the TV cameras follow Shawn Johnson who was more low-flying than usual on her floor routine. But Johnson posted a 16.100. That was the same mark earned by Nastia Liukin who was on balance beam. Liukin had another shaky landing but her routine is packed with difficulty.

DOWN: Chellsie Memmel took a step out of bounds on her floor exercise and scored a 15.300, down from her 15.600 on the final night of nationals.

Bridget Sloan, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery that caused her to withdraw from the vault competition, struggled to hold her balance three times on the balance beam and earned only a 14.850

-- Diane Pucin