COEUR d'ALENE - When Olympic Gold Medal winner Kyle Shewfelt visits with young gymnasts, they have plenty of questions for him. But one has been coming up more often lately.

It's not about training, coaching, or how to win.

It's this: "Do you know Justin Bieber?"

Shewfelt shakes his head and laughs. Since he and the teen singing sensation are both from Canada, some just figure they know each other.

"No, I don't," he answers. "He's 16 years old. We don't run in the same circle."

The 28-year-old, three-time Olympian doesn't mind fielding queries about the pop star as long as the conversation bounces back to gymnastics, a sport he competed in for 21 years. He's in Coeur d'Alene this weekend for the 10th Great West Gym Fest at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Competition began Friday and continues through Sunday.

"The great part about Gym Fest is it's a fun competition, and gymnastics needs a lot more of that," he said. "It's not super serious. It's more a show for the kids."

And what a show.

This year, 47 teams and about 900 girls ages 6-18 from the U.S. and Canada are in town. They'll compete in four events: the vault, the balance beam, the uneven bars and floor exercises.

It starts today at 8 a.m. and includes advanced team and all-around championships. The Big Show finals are tonight from 5:40 to 10. Action continues Sunday, again starting at 8 a.m.

But it's not all about points, winning and losing.

Athletes get a chance to hang out with Olympians like Missy Marlowe, Jason Gatson and Lu Li during ice cream social cruises, and there's a buffet and dance tonight for athletes.

"It's a great time for the kids," Shewfelt said.

Katherin Pope of Post Falls plans to compete in all four events.

Nervous but excited, the member of hometown team Avant Coeur hopes to do well in her best event, the floor exercise. She practices five days a week, 4 1/2 hours a day.

"There's girls from all over, so I know there's a lot of talent," the 15-year-old said.

Her teammate, 13-year-old Hannah Wolf of Coeur d'Alene, has been looking forward to Gym Fest.

"I'm getting some butterflies but I'm pretty excited," she said.

When she's ready to perform, doubts disappear.

"Once you're up competing, it's gone," said Wolf, a 12-year gymnast who hopes to land a college scholarship in her sport. "You're confident with yourself."

Gym Fest organizers Dave and Lisa Adlard said some talented gymnasts are in town.

"It's an extremely high level of competition," Lisa Adlard said.

"People say it's the coolest meet in the country. It's fun just being part of it," Dave Adlard said.

Both said having Gym Fest at The Resort "brings out a touch of class." It continues to attract a strong following because of the Olympians, awards, social cruises, the chance for gymnasts to test themselves and staying on schedule.

"After 10 years we've got this down to ascience," Lisa said.

Dave Adlard said he doesn't see Gym Fest as work.

"It's kind of an excuse to invite all my friends over," he said, laughing.

Shewfelt started in gymnastics when he was 6 years old.

"I knew right away it was my passion and it was something that I loved and I needed to do it," he said.

It takes a combination of a gymnastics club, coach, teammates and family support to excel, he said. Oh, and the desire to train hours upon hours.

"You have to be crazy enough to go and do the same thing every day for many, many days in a row," he said, smiling. "To be great in the sport of gymnastics, you have to be a perfectionist, someone who is willing to be very committed."

Shewfelt, who retired two years ago, is a motivational speaker, coach and does some TV work, too. When chatting with kids, he tells them to try and not to be too intense, too serious about gymnastics too early in life.

"I like to joke that pressure situations can be saved for the Olympics," he said with a laugh.

Could there be a future Olympian among the girls at the Great West Gym Fest?

"That's always the question," Shewfelt said. "You can never really tell, but there's definitely some girls with potential, for sure."