Former Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson called gymnast Nia Dennis' viral floor routine to Black artists 'amazing'

• Former gymnast Shawn Johnson told Insider she loved Nia Dennis' viral floor routine.
• Dennis, a UCLA gymnast, went viral last week for her floor routine set to songs by Black artists.
• Johnson won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and was dubbed "America's Sweetheart."

UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis earned quite a few fans, including Simone Biles, last weekend with her viral floor routine set against the music of popular Black artists like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and 2pac.

And now, she can add one more famous fan to the list: Olympic gold medalist and fellow gymnast Shawn Johnson.

"It truly is artistic gymnastics when you see people being creative," Johnson told Insider while promoting her partnership with Eggo. "It's not just that standard thing we were used to seeing for so many years."

"I love it. I loved seeing her just rock it out there," she added.

—UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 24, 2021

Insider sports reporter Meredith Cash previously wrote that Dennis clinched a victory for her school, the University of California, Los Angeles, against Arizona State University on Saturday.

The senior scored 9.95 while flawlessly executing her routine set to a medley of songs by artists including Beyoncé, Soulja Boy, Missy Elliot, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Read more: Simone Biles applauded UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis after her stunning routine to Black artists like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and 2Pac went viral

"I love the way she's interpreted and expressed herself in gymnastics," Johnson told Insider of Dennis' performance. "I just love seeing the sport evolve that way to see girls and guys be able to take it to a new level and get more creative."

Dennis' routine earned her a few A-list fans across music and sports

Dennis' performance caught Elliot's eye. The singer replied "Snappin" under the video posted by UCLA Gymnastics.

—Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) January 24, 2021

Top gymnast Simone Biles complimented Dennis too.

"Do the damn thing girl ," Biles wrote.

—Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) January 24, 2021

Former first lady Michelle Obama tweeted the clip as well, calling Dennis a "star."

—Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 26, 2021

Dennis tweeted that Obama's compliment left her "speechless."

Johnson, then 16, won gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Johnson, another one of Dennis' A-list fans, won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She clinched the top honors for her balance beam routine and earned a silver medal for her overall performance. Johnson, who was 16 at the time, was given the nickname "America's sweetheart."

She retired from the sport in 2012, at age 20, after experiencing an injury to her left knee.

Johnson, now 29, is married to NFL long snapper Andrew East. The couple has a young daughter, Drew, and recently announced that they're expecting their second child.

A post shared by Shawn Johnson East (@shawnjohnson)

• Read more:

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• 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson shares her advice for athletes who planned to compete in the 2020 Tokyo games

• Simone Biles opens up about competing in a sport with few black athletes: 'I have instilled confidence in little African Americans all over the world'