Across the state, sports fans were overjoyed, and somewhat relieved, when Iowa gymnast Shawn Johnson captured a gold medal in the balance beam - her final competition in the Olympics.

Hyped as the all-around favorite coming into Beijing, Johnson had ended up with silver in the team, all-around, and floor exercise competitions.

"To finally have a gold and be an Olympic gold medalist is what everybody dreams of," she said. "To finally have it around my neck, it's amazing."

In addition to her performances over the past few years, it's Johnson's attitude and down-to-earth charm that has created a huge following in Iowa and had fans across the globe getting caught up in her quest.

That could be seen here in the Cedar Valley when dozens of young gymnasts and their families got together at the Cedar Valley Gymnastics Academy recently to watch the Olympic gymnastics and, naturally, fellow Iowan Shawn Johnson's performances on a 42-inch television screen on loan from Best Buy.

There couldn't have been a better role model.

While being edged out for the gold three times had to have been disappointing for Johnson, she never stopped smiling, and was quick to offer the winners a congratulatory hug.

The most excruciating had to be the floor exercise finals, where Johnson pulled the dreaded first slot for the competition. She wowed the crowd and television audience with a strong performance then had to sit through the routines of the next seven participants. Her score of 15.5 held up until the last competitor, Romania's Sandra Izbasa, shocked everyone with a score of 15.65 to take the gold, which had looked like it was going to the American from West Des Moines.

Johnson, again, remained composed.

"Sandra had an amazing routine," Johnson said. "She stuck all of her landings. She had beautiful execution, and she has the flexibility. She has everything. My landings could have been a little better, but I did what I could. I take nothing back from it. I have no regrets."

Make no mistake, Iowans were rooting hard for Johnson from the beginning. But her attitude throughout the competition made the victory on the balance beam so much sweeter.

Today, Iowans are obviously proud of Johnson for her gold-medal performance and silver-medal finishes. However, we're also proud of her tremendous show of sportsmanship, poise, and friendly demeanor toward her competition.

Those were performances our young, impressionable athletes can learn from and duplicate.