Her name is Dominique Moceanu, she's 14, she trains with Nadia's coach, she didn't give up her performance even with a stress fracture, and she's the rising star of the American women Olympic gymnastics team, which dreams of a first ever team gold

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"She'll be at the Olympics," said her elite coach, Bela Karolyi, three weeks ago. "She is a tough little girl." The whole USA was hopping he's telling the truth, because when a 10 cm long crack in the tibia bone in the right leg was found in the 14 years old girl, the miniature Dominique Moceanu-all of her are 33 kg-the whole USA cracked with her. This gymnast, of Romanian origin (her parents immegrated here 16 years ago), was the only hope for the Anericans to break through and to take the gymnastics team title, finally, from the Romanians and the Russians. Dominique beated Shannon Miller and her older sister at the US Nationals last year, and became the youngest gymnast to do so. At the last World Championships she took a second place on the beam and and a fifth place all around. And suddenly she's in a cast, a month before Atlanta. Yesterday, in the Georgia Dome, a crowd of 25,000 rose up and clapped for her, gave her an enourmous standing ovation, when she, half of her leg taped, was about to mount the beam. At the end of the night the Russians passed the Americans in the compulsory part by a hundreth, 193.679 againgt 193.669. This part is 50% of the score. There couldn't be a smaller lead, and tomorrow will begin the optional part where the Americans are more daring and athletic. Is a new Dream Team of American Mminiatures which captured the nation and got the whole land into a total ecstasy is being created? The NBC Network gave the Americans gymnastics and gymnastics and almost only gymnastics at the prime time. But the American open was terrible, when Jayce Phelps fell in the middle of he routine. The hearts in the stadium and at home almost broke, and the question was is this the beggining of the end of the dream for the best ever American team. Shannon Miller said "no". With an almost perfect AA score she was seconed to the Ukrainian Lilia Podkopayeva (39.061 and 39.149) and gave the tone to a wonderfull American comeback. Now everyone is talking about the Gymnastics Dream Team, but with one difference: while the original don't have a rival, these dreams has the Russians, the Romanians ans the Chinese (who really blew it yesterday) against them. Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug were among the top ten. Another Dominique, the cute black Daws, was wonderfull, but a little less precised. Amanda Borden, Amy Chow and Jayce Phelps are completing a great team with the first realistic chance for the US for a gold medal in team gymnastics. The Women Gymnastics, with USA, Russia, Romania, and China, became one of the biggest Olympic hits. Tickets for it are a dream. And the biggest hit is the youngest athlete. She had already written an autobiography, belive it or not, Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion, and she doesn't give her legendery coach, Bela Karolyi, one moment of quiet. When at the press conference Karolyi said she's able to finish among the top five, she interrupt him: "I don't know what are you talking about. I want to win." Karlyi is calling her "a little pesky". A tiring stuburn with a strong will. And she's just a 14 years okd kid. When her parnets-not bad gymnasts in their youth-immegrated from Romania to Highland Park, Illinoi, where Dominique was born, they saw a big talent in her immediately. "Even at 3 months old she would have hold onto the bed railing and won't let go". They knew it's in her genes, like with her older sister. When she was 3 years old they called Karolyi, Nadia Comaneci's coach in the past, and ask for his help. "Call ne when she's 9'" he answered. They did. And now he have, maybe, a seconed Nadia Comaneci.