"Fab Five" in women's gymnastics for the London Games

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"Fab Five" in women's gymnastics for the London Games
« on: July 02, 2012, 04:05:46 PM »
Five chosen for U.S. women's gymnastics to compete in London Games

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The U.S. Olympic team has its "Fab Five" in women's gymnastics for the London Games.

The four-day Olympic Trials concluded Sunday with the final night of women's competition before a standing-room-only crowd at HP Pavilion. Leading the U.S. into London will be:

• Gabby Douglas, the crowd-pleasing all-arounder from Virginia Beach, Va.
• McKayla Maroney, the reigning vault world champion from Long Beach, Calif.
• Aly Raisman, the national champion in floor exercise and balance beam from Needham, Mass.
• Kyla Ross, the uneven bars silver medalist at the national championships from Aliso Viejo, Calif.
• Jordyn Wieber, the reigning all-around world champion from DeWitt, Mich.

The three alternates are:

• Sarah Finnegan, a beam/floor specialist from St. Louis.
• Anna Li, a specialist in the uneven bars from Aurora, Ill.
• Elizabeth Price, the biggest surprise of the Trials from Coopersburg, Pa.

The team was determined after the final routine, making for a nerve-racking waiting period for the gymnasts and their coaches.

"It was a very emotional scene," said Ross, who, at 15, is the youngest on the U.S. team. "We're all just filled with joy and happiness and relief because we all knew we'd work the best that we could. Tonight, we showed that we are Team USA."

The race for the automatic spot came down to the final rotation with Douglas locking it up with a 15.300 in the floor exercise to edge Wieber.

"It's a young team and a powerful team," national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said. "They're full of energy and they don't mind working to fulfill their dreams."

The most poignant moment of the night involved Nastia Liukin, the Beijng Olympics all-around gold medalist who was attempting a comeback after taking most of the last four years off.

As in Friday's preliminaries, Liukin suffered a bad fall on the uneven bars but rode the crowd's cheers to finish her routine. After her second and final event on the beam, Liukin waved goodbye to the fans with tears in her eyes, receiving hugs from her father/coach Valeri and teammates.