With the P&G Women's Gymnastics National Championships happening this past weekend, all eyes have shifted their focus to the Olympic Trials in a few weeks.
The national team is built up of highly accomplished and talented gymnasts, so these trials will be intense as those young women compete for the five coveted Olympic team slots. While I would be thrilled to see any of those athletes win a place on the team, I do happen to have a particular group of five gymnasts that I would like to see headed to Rio.
Here are are my picks for the U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team:
1. Simone Biles
Neglecting to put Simone Biles on my ideal Olympic team would immediately call all of my life choices into question.
Simone has proven herself to be the best gymnast, male or female, in the world at the current time -- she just won her fourth consecutive national title this past weekend. Furthermore, her winning gold for three consecutive years in the all-around competition at World Championships makes her the most dominant gymnast in history.
Past achievements aside, Biles contributes to the Olympic team in three major ways: balance beam, floor exercise and vault. Her start values for each of these events are sky high, which gives team U.S.A an enormous advantage over other countries. Her floor routine, in particular, is a stunning display of tumbling that cannot be matched worldwide (She even has a layout move named after her!). Biles showcases pure power on each apparatu
2. Gabby Douglas
Gabby claimed her Olympic fame in London in 2012 when she won the gold medal in the all-around competition. Now she has decided that she wants to play in the gym at Rio, and she has toiled in the gym at home for the past two years in order get there.
Gabby says that she considers herself a better, more mature gymnast than she was in London, and she hopes to use that newfound maturity to become the first gymnast ever to win two consecutive Olympic gold all-around medals.
Furthermore, Douglas brings a lot to the Olympic team's table. Gabby's prowess on bars is a sorely needed skill for the U.S.A along with a vault that is incredibly high scoring (even more so were she to bring back her Amanar). While Gabby has plenty of power in her gymnastics, she also displays some impressive artistry.
3. Maggie Nichols
Eighteen-year-old Maggie Nichols has battled injuries in both knees, one in 2014 and another that happened to the other knee this past March.
Despite these injuries sucking up valuable training time, Nichols always comes back bigger and better after recovery. At the national championships, her knee injuries did not keep her from giving a solid performance.
Maggie adds value to the Olympic team for just that reason: her solid performances. She might not have the outstanding, mind-blowing start values that some other gymnasts sport, but she has talent and consistency in droves. Nichols can potentially contribute to any of the four apparatuses in Rio, but I believe that floor exercise and uneven bars need her scores the most. She can deliver the score, as well as the execution, that will be needed on bars at Rio.
4. Aly Raisman
Aly is another veteran Olympian and claimed gold in floor exercise finals in 2012 at London.
Her reason for returning derives from her disappointing push from the podium in the all-around at the 2012 Olympics. Aly tied Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina for third place and was pushed back into fourth.
She has sweated her way back to Olympic Trials and to hopes of another Olympic run. On floor exercise, Aly can give the U.S.A a huge score. She also has a reputation for consistency on the balance beam, a rare quality and an advantage for the U.S.A in Rio. With an artistic side that perfectly complements all that power, Aly needs a ticket to Rio.
5. Madison Kocian
A bars specialist will round out this Olympic team. Madison Kocian would most likely head to Rio exclusively to participate on the uneven bars (if she isn't needed on balance beam, that is).
Much talk has been passed around about a bars specialist accompanying the Olympic team to Rio, and most gymnastics commentators prefer Ashton Locklear for this position. But I believe that Kocian fits the bill better for two reasons.
First of all, Madison has a higher start value than Ashton, meaning she has more potential to grab a higher score. Secondly, Madison has the elegant lines, the inherent skill, and the mental calmness that will assist her in taking on the uneven bars in the Olympic games. She also has plenty of international experience and has always handled the stress of competition perfectly.