US Olympic Gymnastics Team 2012: 10 Things You Need to Know About Aly Raisman

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Spending much of the last few years in her teammates’ shadows, Aly Raisman made a big splash on Sunday when she qualified ahead of Jordyn Wieber for the women’s gymnastics all-around finals at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Until now, Wieber and Gabby Douglas have taken much of the spotlight. But Raisman, an 18-year-old Boston native who trained with former Olympian Alicia Sacramone, has been on their heels for the past three years in major competitions.

Raisman is still relatively unknown, but not for long. Click through to learn more about her before she contends for an all-around gold medal in London.

Raisman Has Yet to Win an All-Around Gold Medal in Major Competition

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Despite being one of the top American gymnasts of the last few years, Aly Raisman hasn’t won a major all-around championship yet—losing out to Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas.

Raisman won silver medals at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships and 2010 and 2012 American Cup; and she finished third at the 2011 American Cup and 2010, 2011 and 2012 Visa Championships.

She Has a Passion for Fashion

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Away from the gym, Aly Raisman has shown an interest in fashion. She is one of Ralph Lauren’s partner athletes for the 2012 Summer Olympics and told Us Magazine that she wants to design workout clothes.

According to a story on her NBC bio, Raisman’s love of clothes led her to lugging a 67-pound bag with her on a recent trip to Australia.

She Is the U.S. Team Captain in London

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Despite flying under the radar in comparison to her teammates, Raisman is the oldest member of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and a team leader. As a result, she was chosen as her team’s captain at the London Games—an honor she doesn’t take lightly, tweeting her delight at her selection:

So proud & honored to be the captain of this team. I love these girls so much! We are so excited for Sunday!!! So proud to represent USA :)

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) July 26, 2012

Raisman Has a Fascination for Trading Olympic Pins

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One of the Olympic athletes’ pastimes at the Olympic Village is trading pins with other athletes. The American women’s gymnasts have taken to this activity seriously, filling the lanyards of their identification badges with pins to trade.

Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney seem to take this tradition particularly seriously:

Trading pins like its my job.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) July 24, 2012

We're ready for some pin trading!! #obsessed with @aly_raisman @jordyn_wieber instagr.am/p/NgTCtOqiao/

— McKayla Maroney (@McKaylaMaroney) July 25, 2012

She Was the Subject of a Feature in Vogue Magazine...

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In May, Aly Raisman was profiled in Vogue Magazine and depicted wearing angel wings in the photo. In the interview, she talked about how to be successful on the balance beam: “You have to forget that you are on something that’s four inches wide and four feet off the ground and just give it 100 percent.”

Easy for her to say.

...And an 88-Minute Documentary

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Boston filmmaker Torey Champagne spent nine months with Aly Raisman and her family to produce an 88-minute film on her journey to the Olympics. He shot over 120 hours of film for the project, which aired on Comcast SportsNet New England in early July.

“I’ve honestly never been more astonished or more amazed by an athlete than I have by spending the time with Aly,” Champagne told The Boston Globe (link above). “Her determination is unparalleled to anything I’ve ever seen.”

Aly Raisman Is Jewish, and Her Floor Routine Music Reflects It

Aly Raisman’s family is Jewish, and she lamented how her training schedule affected her celebration of Hanukkah a couple years ago. She had to stick to her usual diet, unable to partake in holiday dishes such as potato latkes.

The music Raisman choreographed her floor routine to is the traditional Jewish song “Hava Nagila” (see the attached video).

Raisman Doesn’t Have Time for Anything but Gymnastics

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When you’re competing for a spot in the Olympic Games, your social life takes a backseat to training. She told the media that she has a limited amount of time even for her closest friends, and she has no time to worry about having a boyfriend.

However, she did tell CNN’s Piers Morgan that she doesn’t miss the normal life of a teenager like she used to, because she is accustomed to her routine.

She Has a Strong Opinion on the Gymnastics Age Regulations

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To compete in the Olympics, gymnasts have to be at least 16 years old. This rule was instated by the International Olympic Committee to prevent the exploitation of young athletes. However, Aly Raisman isn’t convinced that everybody follows that rule.

She told Yahoo Sports:

“Sometimes when we do travel to other countries, the Chinese and sometimes even the Russians, look really, really young and it is really suspicious. I think everyone knows that the USA would never ever send anyone that was underage. USA always plays by the rules, and if [other countries] don't decide to … I mean, we have to be ready for anything. It is unfair, but that is kind of the way it is.”

Raisman Made the Cover of the Improper Bostonian Magazine

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Just before the Olympics began, Aly Raisman made the cover of The Improper Bostonian magazine (click here for featured image). The Improper Bostonian is an alternative biweekly publication covering lifestyle and entertainment.

In her featured interview, she talked about one of her gymnastics idols, Romanian Nadia Comaneci:

“I think everyone looks up to her because she was the first gymnast to get a 10, and she was always so dedicated. My coach actually worked with her when he was younger, and he says she was a really, really hard worker. She’s proof that all the hard work pays off.”