U.S. Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Officially Named
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images1/10Simone Biles
The second and final day of the Olympic trials for women's gymnastics took place tonight in San Jose, and after much speculation the five women who will represent Team USA in the Olympics have officially been named. We couldn't be prouder that our August cover girls Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas made the cut, and they'll be joined by Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman.
The trials took place over the course of two days, and consisted of four rotations — uneven bars, vault, floor exercise, and balance beam — that were scored for both difficulty and execution. Highlights from tonight’s event includes when Simone Biles literally dominated the vault competition, landing an almost perfect score of 16.2, and Madison Kocian’s skillful performance on the uneven bars.
Upon conclusion of tonight’s trials, team coordinator Martha Karolyi made the final selection of her team, prioritizing the gymnasts who excelled in all areas of the sport. However, the selection of the top five was not just based on numerical points – there were multiple factors that went into her decision. For example, the individual all-around champion from the combined two-day event (Simone Biles) automatically qualified for the Olympic team, and then the selection committee met to decide the remaining four athletes.
Three alternates — MyKayla Skinner, Ashton Locklear, and Ragan Smith — were also selected.
Here’s your first glance at the ladies who will be leading Team USA to Rio later this summer!
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images2/10Gabby Douglas, 20
Gabby Douglas began taking gymnastic lessons at seven years old after her sister [theorized] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=132789) that she would make a good gymnast. Her sister obviously can predict the future because Douglas went on to not only become an Olympic champion, but also become the first woman of color to win an individual all-around gold in gymnastics at the 2012 Olympics in London. Even though she accomplished so many incredible feats four years ago, Gabby feels that her job as an Olympian is not finished. She says in Teen Vogue's August issue that she loves a challenge, and feels that she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.
After the competition, Gabby was left nearly speechless after making her second Olympic team, and says, "I'm still trying to process it — wow."
You can follow Gabby on Twitter and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/gabbycvdouglas/).
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images3/10Aly Raisman, 22
Born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts – just outside of Boston – Aly Raisman is no stranger to the Olympics. She participated in the [2012 Olympic Games in London] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=97680) with Gabby, where she took home a group gold, a gold on floor, and a bronze on beam. Aly began her journey as a gymnast at age two when her mother enrolled her in a Mommy and Me gymnastics class.
At the end of the competition, before she knew she made the team, Aly cried tears of relief, and says, "It was so nerve wrecking, you just never know." Aly adds: "I'm just glad [Gabby] and I have the chance to represent Team USA again. It was a lot of hard work."
You can follow Aly on Twitter and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/alyraisman/).
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images4/10Laurie Hernandez, 16
Hailing from New Jersey, Laurie Hernandez says that [her favorite thing about gymnastics] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=278528) is feeling like she is flying. She’s been practicing the sport since age five, and has been with the same coach, Maggie Haney, for her whole career. Laurie told Teen Vogue that she has grown alongside her coach, and the two have learned a lot from one another. Since starting gymnastics, [Laurie has claimed] (http://www.teenvogue.com/story/gymnast-laurie-hernandez-2016-olympic-trials-rio) several national and international titles. However, her all-time goal has always been to compete in the Olympics. Dream, realized!
"Four years ago I never would have thought I could be in this moment," she says. "Everything I've ever gone through in the gym is totally worth it right now."
You can keep up with Laurie’s journey to Rio on [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/lzhernandez02) and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/lauriehernandez_/).
Ronald Martinez/Getty5/10Simone Biles, 19
At only 19 years old, Simone Biles [has been dubbed] (http://www.teenvogue.com/story/simone-biles-summer-olympics-cover-august-2016 ) “the best gymnast ever.” She was basically a shoo-in for the 2016 team after taking first place after the first day of trials and winning three consecutive world championship titles.
Born in Ohio, but raised in Texas, Simone began [training] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=164887) as a gymnast at age six.
After officially being named to the team tonight, Simone says, "I couldn't be more grateful, and I'm excited for the whole team."
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images6/10Madison Kocian, 19
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Madison Kocian took up gymnastics as a young child. Her mother thought she would be a good gymnast because she always climbed out of her crib as a baby. Clearly, her mom was right, as Madison has claimed both national and world championship wins as part of Team USA — and is now headed to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
You can follow Madison on Twitter and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/madison_kocian/).
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images7/10Ragan Smith, 15
Ragan Smith’s inspiration came from [her mother] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetailPrint2.html?id=239139), who was incidentally a gymnastics coach. She began taking lessons at age one, and started entering in regional competitions by age nine. Since then she has competed in both national and world events, and only made her senior debut this year. She'll be headed to Rio with Team USA next month as an alternate.
You can follow Ragan Smith on Instagram.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images8/10MyKayla Skinner, 19
Mykayla Skinner calls the state of Arizona home, and began taking gymnastics lessons at age four. She was inspired to start the sport after seeing her older sisters participate, and has since excelled in both national and international championships over the past four years. She'll be headed to Rio with Team USA next month as an alternate.
You can follow Mykayla on Twitter and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/mykaylaskinner2016).
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images9/10Ashton Locklear, 18
Ashton Locklear began her career as a gymnast at just [one year old] (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetailPrint2.html?id=152485), after seeing her older sister compete in tumbling and trampoline competitions. Ashton was named the uneven bars champion in the U.S. in both 2016 and 2014, and she’s also competed – and placed – in international events. In addition to gymnastics, she loves drawing and swimming, and one of her all-time goals has been to be a part of the Olympic team. Mission accomplished!
She'll be headed to Rio with Team USA next month as an alternate.
You can follow Ashton on Twitter and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/_ashtonlocklear).
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