Gabby Douglas: 16-Year-Old Holds Key to American Gold in Women's Gymnastics

Jordyn Wieber, the 17-year-old American gymnast with wins dating back four years, is likely the most recognizable name among the American women heading to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. 

But while Wieber may be the one gymnast who is expected to take over the role Nastia Liukin vacated, there's one name that could hold the key to team gold for the United States in the 2012 Games. 

That name is Gabby Douglas, a 16-year-old Virginia native who has burst onto the scene as a legitimate challenger to Wieber as the best all-around gymnast in London this summer. 

Douglas' rise to the peak of the sport has been a fast one. 

After winning gold as a part—albeit, a much smaller part—of the U.S. women's team in the 2011 World Championships, Douglas took off over the last year. 

In June of this year, Douglas won gold convincingly on the uneven bars at the 2012 U.S. Championships, and her silver medal in the all-around—behind just Wieber—was an eye-opener for most. 

Douglas then continued that momentum into July's U.S. Olympic trials in San Jose, where she took home the top spot in the all-around competition.

Douglas edged Wieber by 0.1 points, but the message was loud and clear: Douglas, who automatically qualified for the 2012 Olympics with the win was here to stay in the world of women's gymnastics. 

Almost a month later, Douglas will likely be the key to the Americans winning team gold—something the U.S. hasn't done since 1996 in Atlanta. 

One member of that team, three-time Olympian and four-time Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes, thinks Douglas and her American teammates will end that 16-year drought in London. 

"Gabby is definitely a fresh face—I'm thrilled to watch Gabby—and I really do think that this team is going to win gold," Dawes told NBC Sports. "I think she is going to surprise a great deal of people." 

Sports Illustrated's Brian Cazeneuve put Douglas first on his "Athletes to Watch" section of his women's gymnastics preview. 

"

Douglas is a crowd favorite, with an effusive personality and seeming capacity to fly across the gym. Bars are her best event, and in addition to being one of the favorites in the all-around competition, the gymnast known as The Flying Squirrel should contend for gold there, too. 

"

Cazeneuve went on to opine that this U.S. women's team is the strongest it has been in some time, and it's hard to disagree with him. 

In addition to Douglas and Wieber, the Americans have gold medal favorites in both the vault (McKayla Maroney) and floor exercise (Aly Raisman). Douglas will be a strong favorite to win the uneven bars and all-around individual golds. 

Overall, this American women's team is likely the best we've seen since the 1996 Games. There, the "Magnificent Seven" put on a show that is still vividly remembered by most who were lucky enough to see it. 

Like Dawes in '96, Douglas has a golden opportunity to be the cog that makes this team run. Wieber will get plenty of attention, too, but Douglas is the key to the Americans doing something they haven't done in 16 years.