Last Sunday, July tenth, the young women who will represent the United States for women’s artistic gymnastics was announced. Leading the team is Simone Biles, who has already accomplished plenty in her nineteen years of life. Biles is not only a three-time world champion, but also a four-time United States national all- around champion, three-time world floor champion, and a two-time world balance beam champion. With her strong assets and undeniable experience in tense competitions, she is a crucial member of the team.
Two Olympians from the London 2012 Olympics made the team again, an accomplishment that has only been done a few other times. Aly Raisman, known as the “Grandma” or “Mother” of the team finished third after the Olympic Trials were completed and named a part of the team. Gabby Douglas, who experienced a few mishaps on the balance beam, including falling off both nights, feared her position on the team. Many fans sat anxiously on the edges of their chairs, nervously awaiting whether or not Douglas was going to the Olympics.
Laurie Hernandez, a New Jersey native, is the youngest member on the team, but exhibits an enormous amount of talent. Finishing second overall at the Trials, it was almost obvious she had a sure spot on the team. She shows to have a strong endurance for the harder sets, including the balance beam, which she ended up winning during the Trials. Though it is her first year as a senior-leveled gymnast there are high expectations that Hernandez will take home the gold in any, or all, of her events.
The last member of the team is Madison Kocian, a nineteen-year- old gymnast from Dallas, Texas. She is a fourth-year senior leveled gymnast and is best known for her amazing strengths on the uneven bars. She owned the world winning title for the uneven bars in 2015. In Rio, she is expected to dominate the uneven bars, taking home a gold medal for her amazing ability.
These five girls have proved that they are fit to go to the Rio Olympics. All have their own strengths on different events, but together these girls will shine. Each of them contributes major abilities that are necessary to keep the team together as one.
Not only are these girls amazing athletes, but they are definitely an inspiration to younger girls and boys out there to work hard in whatever they do in life. All five girls started somewhere and when you put in the time and the effort, you can go anywhere. None of these five girls ever imagined that they would be going to the Olympics to compete for a gold medal, but they worked hard and long to accomplish that goal.
August seventh marks the beginning of the Gymnastic Olympic Games, beginning with the qualification round for the team events. The schedule continues all the way to August sixteenth, where the final round of Women’s Gymnastics closes with the Women’s Floor finals.
Wishing nothing but luck to all five of these ladies, while they all fight to bring home the gold.
