US Gymnastics Olympic Trials 2012: Jordyn Wieber Primed for Gold Run in London

Jordyn Wieber must have seen Gabby Douglas coming. Objects are closer than they appear in the mirror, and Douglas was practically in Wieber's blind spot.

Douglas, the spirited 16-year-old from Virginia, has been inching close to the veteran Wieber. She surprised many with a strong performance in the 2011 World Championships, though she could not qualify for the all-around final because Wieber and Aly Raisman took the two available spots ahead of her.

That was just a sign of things to come for the winner of the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials.

Douglas revealed upgraded routines at the AT&T American Cup earlier in the year. She then narrowly missed out on a national championship, losing to Wieber by 0.2 points at the VISA Championships in St. Louis.

She was finally able to overtake Wieber at the trials, beating her out for the top spot by just 0.1 point. But does that mean she is the new all-around favorite?

Hold your pommel horses. Douglas may have finally caught Wieber, but the latter will have the last laugh in London.

The reigning national and world champion—that's right, Wieber owns a few titles herself—is far more experienced at this level than her upstart rival. Even though Wieber is just five months older than Douglas, the former has competed in more national and international events, and she has been a gold-medal machine for U.S. gymnastics.

Heading into the trials, Wieber had won five straight major all-around competitions. She had a strong showing in San Jose, but she narrowly missed out out on automatically qualifying for the Olympics, though there was zero doubt she would be selected otherwise.

If anything, Douglas's victory will help Wieber stave off complacency, though I doubt Wieber or any other Olympian would have trouble staying motivated to perform. It may have been a given that Wieber would land on the national squad, but as the Associated Press noted (h/t sportsillustrated.cnn.com), she certainly approached the trials with an aim to win: 

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This is one meet, however, where she really, really wants to finish first.

The reigning world champion is halfway to the London Games after breezing through the first night of the Olympic trials Friday. The winner of the two-day trials gets the lone automatic spot on the five-woman team, and Wieber has the lead over Gabby Douglas after turning in the only clean performance of the night.

"It would be a huge honor to take that top spot," Wieber said. "I try not to think about standings, but at the same time, everyone wants that guaranteed spot."

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Falling short of her goal could give her the edge she needs in London. Experience and motivation alone will not decide Wieber's fate, however. Her talent will. The champ is a dynamo in the gymnasium. 

Of course, Douglas is no slouch herself after earning a victory at the trials, but can she pull it off again? Her inconsistency—perhaps a product of her inexperience—is a reason why she has not been in this position before. History is on Wieber's side.

At the very least, this is an excellent problem to have for Marta Karolyi and U.S. gymnastics. Not since the days of the 1996 Magnificent Seven has the U.S. national women's gymnastics team looked this strong.

If this duo can put on a show like they did at the trials, the rest of the world will stand little chance. Just give the edge to Wieber.