Someone obvious was missing Friday morning in Beijing as North Texan Nastia Liukin won the women's gymnastics all-around Olympic gold medal: Carly Patterson.

Television cameras cut to Houston's Mary Lou Retton, who in 1984 became the first American woman to win the all-around gold. There were shots of coaches, the ever-present Bela and Martha Karolyi, and several other Olympic luminaries.

But what about Patterson, the darling of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, whose megawatt smile and pepper-pot style captured American imaginations when she won America's second all-around gold?

She watched the games from Louisiana, with family.

"I wanted to be there, for sure," said Patterson, 20, who lives in Allen and is pursuing a singing career. "I don't really know what happened. I wasn't invited."

USA Gymnastics insists there was no intentional slight toward Patterson.

The organization typically doesn't have a policy of bringing former athletes to the Olympic games. Retton, for example, wasn't in Athens when Patterson won in 2004. Retton is in Beijing with a sponsor, BHP Billiton.

Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, said it was his understanding that Patterson was preparing for a music tour and "the timing wasn't going to work out," he said.

"Carly is a very special person to USA Gymnastics, and there was no slight intended. ... It would have been special to have her here with Mary Lou and Nastia. If I overlooked something, it's my bad."

Patterson's absence clearly riled her former coach, Yevgeny Marchenko, who, along with Liukin's dad, two-time Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin, owns the Plano gym that produced back-to-back Olympic gold medalists.

"I'm very disappointed in USA Gymnastics," he said. "Carly should have been there to pass on the crown to the next Olympic champion."

USA Gymnastics says it has been supportive of Patterson's burgeoning pop-music career, with her performing at two competitions this year, including the U.S. Olympic trials in June in Philadelphia.

Patterson said she exchanged text messages with her former teammate and training partner after she won the gold. Later, they talked by phone.

"She did an amazing job," Patterson said. "I wish I could have been there to pass the baton, but it didn't turn out that way."

Natalie Patterson, who guided her daughter through a media whirlwind after the 2004 Olympics, was circumspect about the situation.

"I want my daughter to be happy, and she is happy and successful, and I want that success to continue," she said.

Staff writer Kate Hairopoulos contributed to this report.