Alexandra Raisman competes in the floor exercise during Day 2 of the 2016 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials at SAP Center, July 10, 2016 in San Jose, California.
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“What she exudes on that floor is going to come out”, Hawkins promised. It was hard in the gym coming back from those injuries. This team will be the overwhelming favorite to win a team gold medal in Rio and there is also a chance for many other individual event medals. It didn’t matter that Biles’ spot was already secure after capturing the all-around, extending a long streak that shows no signs of abating.
She made the Olympic team-all but the top finisher at trials are coaches’ selections-but in the past month she went from automatic choice to one with an asterisk. Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian will be swinging, jumping and flipping in Rio to defend the USA’s gold medal title.
Only 16, Hernandez has quickly become a scene-stealer.
Raisman who looked nothing short of fabulously confident, shined on her third rotation of the night Sunday.
The P&G Championships standout then went to balance beam, where the confidence from her gold medal at the Jesolo Trophy helped lead her to an incredible 15.700 with a lovely routine throughout.
MyKayla Skinner, Ragan Smith, and Ashton Locklear will also join the team as replacement athletes.
The scores from each day count the same for a combined total. This score was much stronger than her opening night score (14.8) which she made on Friday during the Olympic Trials. The Olympics will take place in Rio De Janeiro beginning August 5, 2016.
Madison Kocian rounded out the final, fifth spot on the team, largely due to her proficiency on the uneven bars. After all, the Virginian finished second to Biles at last year’s world championships in the four-apparatus combination.
Raisman was the oldest on the USA team when she won the floor exercise at the London Olympics and captained the close-knit “Fierce Five” group that captured the team title. Rio will be her first Olympics. Mattel used the occasion of the Olympic selection to announce Monday that it is introducing a superhero Barbie doll that bears Douglas’ likeness.
Douglas, meanwhile, overcame some less-than-stellar competitions.
If you’re desperately in need of some not-terrible news, the Olympics just delivered an exciting diversity win.
What’s her deal?: Since 2013, Simone has been the undisputed queen of gymnastics. “For me, there is a little bit more work to be done”.
Douglas trusts that it will while feeling the pressure fade after the trials.
Douglas’ erratic and lackadaisical training caught up to her at trials, where she was seventh after falling off balance beam both nights. Same for vaults. In the weeks leading up to the Games, be certain that Karolyi and crew will be helping Douglas to improve.
In the second rotation, the woman known as the “Flying Squirrel” wrapped tape tight around her wrists before leaping off a springboard to record a solid 15.250.
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Gabrielle Douglas placed 7th in the all around competiton at trials. “The balance beam got two points and Simone zero because I fell off”.
