Curtain call: Patterson makes return to North Texas

Smiley N. Pool / DMN

Carly Patterson waves to the crowd during a parade on Sept. 4.

Three months ago in Athens, Carly Patterson sprinted across our television screens, punched the floor, tucked and spun like a pony-tailed pinwheel to win Olympic gold. In that instant, Carly, a 16-year-old high school kid from Allen, was transformed. She became an American symbol. Carly is the second woman in U.S. history, behind Texan Mary Lou Retton, to win the all-around gold in gymnastics.
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