Not quite "Bieber Fever" for Wieber

2008 U.S. junior champion Jordyn Wieber is 15 years old and like most girls her age, she's a big fan of pop star Justin Bieber. UniversalSports.com caught up with the talented gymnast from DeWitt, Michigan to talk "Bieber Fever," new moves, and being compared to one of Beijing's star gymnasts.

Your style of gymnastics is often compared to Shawn Johnson's. Do you agree?

I think we have some similar qualities. We are both really powerful and muscley. It's flattering. She's such a great gymnast it's kind of cool to be compared to someone that great.

You won the U.S. junior title in 2008, but had to sit out 2009 with a hamstring injury. Many athletes would try to push through an injury, but you took the time off to let it heal. What led to that decision?

I went to a few doctors and I realized it was a pretty rough injury. I knew that if I did stuff on it when it hurt it would only get worse. I tried to be really patient with myself and just let it heal so that I could come back as strong as I could.

Have you grown at all and how has that affected your gymnastics?

I grew a lot when I hurt my hamstring just because I wasn't training fully. It's always harder to do some of your skills when you're taller, but I was patient with myself. I realized that it was going to be a little bit tough, but I just kept going and now I've pretty much transitioned and everything is fine.

Tell us about the new move you open with on the uneven bars, the "Weiler kip." Typically, only men compete that skill.

I started working on that last year. It's just a really interesting skill and I thought it would be cool because not a lot of other people do it. It adds something more to my routine that someone else won't have. It's really cool to have something interesting in my routine.

You also have a new floor routine. What can you tell us about it?

I got [this routine] last year before I hurt my hamstring, but I wasn't able to compete it until Australia [in April]. [The music] is from the [Cirque du Soleil] show "Mystere." I actually had a meet in Las Vegas and we went to go see that show, but I didn't know it was going to be my music back then.

When I was picking out my music I wanted something that would show a little bit more maturity for me because my other music was kind of younger. Since I grew up a lot, I thought it would be a good fit for me. I wanted a routine that would fit my personality and also went well with my skills.

How do you handle pressure before a big meet?

I listen to music, but I don't really have a routine. I just stay to myself and focus on what I need to do at that competition. I don't focus on the crowd. I just stay in my zone. You just kind of put yourself in a bubble and think about what you need to do that day.

What kinds of music do you listen to?

I pretty much like all kinds of music, but my favorite artist would probably be Justin Bieber and I like Rascal Flatts a lot.

Do you have "Bieber Fever?"

I'm not that crazy. I just like his music. My favorite song would have to be "Stuck in the Moment."

Tell us about your most embarrassing sports moment.

When I was a Level 6 and I was at a meet, I saluted to the judge and then I picked my wedgie. They took a deduction for that. It was pretty embarrassing.