The unflappable Raisman secured her hard-earned spot from national team coordinator Martha Karolyi with a strong showing over the past six weeks, which included an all-around victory in last month’s Hartford tune-up meet. Nerves seem to be a huge problem for just about everyone, including Biles, who had a rare fall last night.
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“It’s so unreal”, Simone said after the trials.
The team director will work with the gymnasts for nine days to polish skills ahead of the big stage.
20 years ago, there were the Magnificent Seven and the first ever Olympic team gold for USA female gymnasts.
Aly Raisman is your average 22-year-old from New England-who also just happens to be a three-time Olympic medalist and reigning gymnastics floor champion. Hernandez is the first Puerto Rican woman to make a U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team. “I was so nervous this competition”.
“I’m so excited”, Douglas told People.
On Sunday evening, after two evenings of official trials and seven months of intense qualifying observation, Team USA announced its five-woman Olympic squad.
Laurie Hernandez is only 16, the youngest on the team by several years, and was reportedly a favorite to make the Olympic team after winning the junior all-around national title in 2015. Ashton Locklear and Ragan Smith join Skinner as alternates.
In track parlance, a sprinter doesn’t necessarily have to be “fast” to succeed in the 400 – a full lap around the track in which technique is more important than pure speed. “To have her just lead this team….we’ve been there, and for us to be back on this road together is just incredible”. Raisman – who is the oldest member of this year’s team – won gold in the team and floor competitions. But her next competitive events are likely at the Huntsman Center.
“You don’t really think of her as an Olympian but when you see her on TV you’re like, ‘Oh wow she really is famous, ‘” said Kerekes. “If Simone, who is number one, automatically named to the team, best gymnast in the world, still has to hear her name for the Olympics, I think that could summarize probably how we felt a little”. “No individual event medals were awarded, and Skinner was the top scorer in vault and finished second in both uneven bars and floor exercise”, according to DeseretNews.com. At the Olympic trials, Locklear only competed in two of the four events, the uneven bars and the balance beam.
While Douglas has struggled at the trials, Biles has soared. She is aiming for her third Olympic gold medal and her fifth gold medal altogether. But she fell off the beam again – unable to keep her balance when a tricky back flip went awry.
Biles attributed her wobbles and mistakes to an excess of adrenaline ― the atmosphere in the arena, she said, “was just insane”. “It’s going to be really tough for anybody to contend”. Romania won’t even send a full team to Rio.
Since making her senior debut in 2013, Biles has won 14 world championship medals (10 golds) and has been patiently waiting to make her mark at the Olympic Games.
We wish the entire Team USA luck as they represent American athleticism on the global stage. In Rio, she will be targetting five gold medals – team, all-around, balance beam, floor and vault.
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Raisman has said in numerous interviews that she takes a nap every day in between her gym sessions.
