2004 Olympics: Top Stories

07:06 AM CDT on Friday, August 20, 2004

By CATHY HARASTA / The Dallas Morning News

ATHENS, Greece – She and her mom exchanged a quick, three-word message Thursday night, after Carly Patterson had become the most revered female Olympic gymnast since Mary Lou Retton.

"I love you," Patterson said to her mother, Natalie, as the women's Olympic all-around gymnastics gold medalist circled the arena after the awards ceremony.

The 10-year investment for the Patterson family ended with the most prestigious of Summer Games titles for the 16-year-old Allen resident.

"You dream your whole life about this," Patterson said after rallying to top Russian star Svetlana Khorkina by .176 points at Olympic Indoor Hall. "All my hard work has paid off."

Patterson, who won a world team title last year, had to rebound from eighth place after opening with a vault score of 9.375. But that's why she and her coach, Evgeny Marchenko, had worked so diligently for years on the balance beam dismount that became known as "The Patterson" last year. No possible ambiguity existed in scoring that complicated, risky dismount. Unlike some of the gymnasts' routines, Patterson's beam was a winner, provided she could execute it.

Bela Karolyi, the legendary Olympic coach who trained Retton and Romania's Nadia Comaneci, could not contain himself when Patterson landed the signature "Patterson."

It was a transcendent moment for U.S. gymnastics.

"The big question was the beam," Karolyi said, slapping his hands together and nodding his head. "Then, that was the greatest beam I've seen her perform all year."

Patterson's splendid dismount and resulting 9.725 beam score vaulted her from fourth to first place, needing a 9.536 on the final rotation – floor exercise – to tie Khorkina, who had called the Athens Games her final Olympic appearance.

Patterson came through with a 9.712, performing last in the competition.

Once her victory was assured, Patterson's emotions got the best of her, showing the side her competitive nature keeps hidden. Carly cried, just like any 16-year-old deserves to do after handling incredible pressure like a champ for this whole Olympic year.

"Everything comes down to the last event," said Marchenko, who trains Patterson at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. "At that point, she was the Carly Patterson I've known for years. She saw the example of Paul Hamm."

Michael Mulvey / DMN

Carly Patterson (center) enjoys her golden moment on the podium.

On Wednesday night, in the same arena, Hamm, of Waukesha, Wis., came back from 12th place to become the first American man to win an Olympic all-around championship. Though Retton beat Patterson to that distinction for women 20 years ago, U.S. women's team coordinator Martha Karolyi said Patterson's victory meant more because it came at a nonboycotted Games. Retton won her all-around championship at the Los Angeles Olympics, boycotted by the Soviets and most of their allies.

"This is even more precious," Martha Karolyi said. "They're both able to perform best when it counts."

Natalie Patterson, a nurse, and her three sisters were in the stands.

"We were blowing her kisses," Natalie said. "It was an awesome job. As a mom, I feel she deserved it. I'm so glad the ultimate dream for her came true."

Khorkina, 25, emphasized that she had won Olympic titles, making her a champion.

"I was in Atlanta, I was in Sydney, and I'm here, also," she said.

Marchenko, a five-time sports acrobatics world champion for the Soviet Union, said Khorkina's legacy would last forever in the sport. But he said she might have reacted differently to the evening that belonged to Patterson.

"She needs to pay some respect to the new Olympic champion," he said.

E-mail charasta@dallasnews.com