That her team-mate, Simone Biles, happens to simply be better – perhaps the best ever – is an unfortunate bit of timing for Raisman. She has four titles from the US championships.
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Kayla Harrison became the first American, male or female, to win Olympic gold in judo four years ago.
“I would put Simone now on top”, she added. Each one of them stepped up, did what they needed to do and got the job done.
But Thursday’s silver, she said, “shows you should never let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything, and you should never give up just because you fail in something”. No one sees the preparation and countless hours it takes behind the scenes to get to this level.
Downey started in sixth place at the vault but fell back after a weaker score on the uneven bars. Aly Raisman was next with another sky-high Amanar and awesome landing.
Phelps has won this event at the last three Olympic Games but expect strong competition from the likes of world record holder Ryan Lochte.
That awe has spilled over to social media, with the Texas-raised teenager tweeting on Wednesday that she had surpassed one million followers on photo-sharing app Instagram and thanking her fans with an “I LOVE YALL”.
But Biles took the lead and never looked back after the beam before dominating all before her on floor to take the gold.
“Just because she wins every single competition”, Raisman said.
Bars specialist Madison Kocian, who hails from my gym, WOGA, sealed the deal with a almost flawless bar set, complete with another ideal dismount and a big smile. “I just have to stay focused when I go into my event finals”.
Balance beam can be a true “make it or break it” event in our sport, especially in a three-up, three-count format, meaning each score from the three routines count for each team’s score.
Australia’s Marcus Fraser fired an eight-under-par 63 and Great Britain’s Justin Rose hit a hole-in-one on the 4th hole as golf returned to the Olympic Games on Thursday for the first time since the 1904 Games in St. Louis.
Yes, there was a moment where she seemed human – her routine on the bar was below her best – but even that is beyond most. And trust me, it is very hard to stick that landing!
For the second time in Olympic history, two USA women topped the all-around podium.
A three-time world all-around champion, Biles, 19, was too young to compete at the 2012 London Games. “I just do my gymnastics”. And now, finally, an Olympic champion.
The effervescent Harrison faced France’s Audrey Tcheumeo in the final, which was close until Harrison took Tcheumeo down with an ippon that ended the match in the final minute. It’s no doubt Aly is world-class on this event. “And you have to be fearless”, Boorman said as she matter-of-factly made the case.
That she did, her smile as bright as the gold eyeliner she wore. “Most people don’t go in thinking they can beat Usain Bolt either, it’s kind of the same thing”. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected in its reference to the women’s team nickname, the Final Five, to reflect that the name doesn’t exclusively refer to the fact that in the 2020 Games, teams can only consist of four gymnasts.
“It’s such an honor to be under that name, I don’t know what to think”, Biles said. “She’s just a step ahead”.
Forget the pressure. Forget the hype. Only the judges don’t hand out ideal scores anymore. The moment US popped into first place was certainly one those five girls and all of America will never forget.
Mustafina, their biggest medal threat, preceded both Americans on floor and earned mediocre marks.
Raisman, along with teammates Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian, nicknamed themselves the “Final Five” in honor of longtime national team coordinator Martha Karolyi, who is retiring this year. April Ross and three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings wrapped up pool play with a ideal record on Wednesday.
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EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty ImagesUS gymnast Simone Biles (R) and U.S. gymnast Alexandra Raisman celebrate on the podium of the women’s individual all-around final of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016.
