Olympic Gymnastics 2012: Should We Just Hand McKayla Maroney the Gold in Vault?

McKayla Maroney is the reigning world champion in vault. Can she achieve top honors on the Olympic stage in London?

So far, all signs point to yes. With the World Championships and the Olympic trials as recent proof, Maroney is tough and reliable when it comes to sticking vaults under pressure. Even 2008 U.S. team captain Alicia Sacramone, the reigning U.S. vault champion, likes Maroney's odds.

One advantage Maroney has over the competition is her mastery of the Amanar, a two-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko. She has executed the move successfully in pressure situations, including the 2011 World Championships and at the Olympic trials in San Jose earlier this month.

Oh, and by the way, that was just three weeks after suffering a nasal fracture and mild concussion during warm-ups at the Visa Championships.

"I was really looking like a zombie," Maroney told ESPN's Michelle Smith about the injury. "That was one of the longest weeks of my life. Each day I felt a little bit better, but it wasn't going as fast as I wanted."

Would-be challengers to Maroney are out there, but it's questionable whether or not they have the difficulty to truly challenge her.

Russia didn't at the World Championships. But there are rumors (via the couchgymnast.com) that Romania's Sandra Izbasa, historically known for her strength in the floor exercise, has been working on upping the difficulty of her second vault. Izbasa was the 2011 European vault champion, but did not compete in Worlds in the event against Maroney due to injury.

According to NBCOlympics.com, word at the trials was that it was going to be more difficult for Maroney to make the Olympic team than to win a gold medal in vault in London. This seems like a crazy statement, but Maroney's track record strongly validates the claim. Maroney has taken first in most, but not all, national competitions since 2009. However, since 2010, Maroney has never not finished first on vault in international competition.

That's practically a monopoly on the event.