Created: 8/23/2007 1:17:11 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL (AP) -- Persistence is paying off for the man marrying Shannon Miller, the most-decorated American gymnast ever with two Olympic gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes.
John Falconetti, the 39-year-old chairman of the Duval County Republican executive committee, went to great lengths to woo Miller for Saturday's wedding, not to mention "lots of surprise flowers and chocolates."
Falconetti, president of a Jacksonville printing company, said he first saw Miller, 30, when she was playing in a charity golf tournament two years ago. After learning who she was, Falconetti upgraded his sponsorship so she had to sit next to him the whole weekend.
Falconetti found excuses to make trips to Boston, where Miller was in law school at Boston College. He worked to bring a gymnastic competition to Jacksonville and name Miller the city's athletic representative.
"I was starting to get clued in by then, but our gymnastic federation was delighted to come here," Miller said.
Miller has transferred to the University of Florida as a visiting student for her last year of law school. She was recently named co-chair of the Governor's Fitness Council.
Both have a busy fall planned. Miller, who was an analyst for MSNBC in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has to get ready for the Beijing games. She has a weekly TV show, "Gymnastics USA with Shannon Miller" and recently established the Shannon Miller Foundation to fight childhood obesity.
This will be Falconetti's first marriage and the second for Miller.
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