They are the first US women’s gymnasts to make two Olympic teams since Dominique Dawes and Amy Chow.
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It’s official! The U.S.A. Gymnastics Olympic roster has been announced and the women who made the cut are: Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian. She did. Douglas credited Karolyi for the pep talk she gave her after the weak competition on Friday. “I didn’t realize how much mentally and physically older I got in the past four years, so looking back at this little girl watching the Olympics on her phone, I would never think I’d be here right now”. She was the only competitor outside of those two to score higher than a 15.0 on bars and she did it both nights.
Lucky for Douglas, one of her strengths is the uneven bars, underlining Karolyi and the selection committee’s emphasis on that event if the U.S.is to repeat as team Olympic champions.
In general, Douglas’s trials and tribulations this year (she was fourth at nationals) underscores how hard it is to return to the Games as an all-around champion. Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, both of whom were locks to join the team, cried in anticipation. She went through her energetic routine with minimal deductions and stuck the landing. MyKayla Skinner, Ragan Smith and Ashton Locklear are the alternates.
Fun Fact: Her pre-performance ritual includes putting her hand over her belly and taking a deep breath.
The Grind is a rite of passage in the powerhouse USA women’s program, one created to end with tearful hugs on the podium with gold medals draped around their necks as “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays.
“I’m willing to put everything into it and clean up those details and really just push myself”.
The country’s most recognizable gymnast made the decision hard because of her struggles on the four-inch beam where she seems to have lost her command. “It doesn’t really sink in that I’ve already been here before”. They have gymnasts in the mix on each event, making this one of the strongest teams ever put together.
Not anymore. The 22-year-old – nicknamed “grandma” as the oldest member of the team – stormed her way through two run-up events to trials and kept it going on Sunday night. Watch them defy gravity, fly through the air, and flex muscles that most of us didn’t even know existed-just don’t be surprised if you find yourself gasping!
Where else will we be seeing her?: Possibly on the balance beam, but Kocian knows that she’s there to do the uneven bars.
After the agonizing wait, Gabrielle Douglas, reigning Olympic all-around gold medalist from London 2012, learned that she qualified for her second Olympic trip despite coming in seventh at the trials.
Biles will have her chance to prove Retton and others right next month, where she has a chance to win five gold medals. She finished 2.1 points ahead of the second-place finisher in the all-around.
For now, the team will go to the US National Team Training Camp at Karolyi’s ranch in Houston for a week and a half. She also finished off Trials with a 15.7 on beam, which was even better than her Trials-leading 15.5 on Day 1.
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The 19-year-old’s specialty is the uneven bars, a skill she won the world title for in 2015. This difference, Kocian said, might have given her a slight edge.
