Olympic Gymnastics Results: Aly Raisman Will Thrive Under Pressure in All-Around
Like it or not, the darling of the United States gymnastics team will not be competing in the all-around final. Although Jordyn Wieber finished with one of the top scores in qualifying on Sunday, teammates Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas bested her efforts, leaving her on the outside looking in.
With the women's all-around finals set to take center stage this week, all eyes will be on Aly Raisman as she looks to capture gold. While Raisman may not be a crowd favorite like Wieber, her status as a prominent figure with United States gymnastics has recently been elevated.
Recently named the captain of the United States gymnastics team, Raisman is making a name for herself as the team's most steady performer. After posting a total score of 60.391 (good for second amongst all qualifiers) and a team-best 15.325 in the floor exercise, Raisman is facing sky-high expectations in this week's final.
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According to NBCOlympics.com, the 2012 games are Raisman's first, but her status as the team's eldest member has given the 18-year-old very little room for excuses.
Now, alongside Douglas, Raisman will have to phase out the mounting pressure and focus in on the task at hand. Never really considered the USA's greatest hope to bring home gold, Raisman has been afforded a great opportunity to rise above expectations and leave her mark on the 2012 games as a champion.
Given Raisman's pedigree and qualifying scores, it's safe to say that the young Olympian could be in for a very impressive performance in the finals. Raisman finished first overall in the floor exercise, fourth in the vault, fifth on the balance beam and 23rd on the uneven bars in qualifying.
Raisman's top-five finishes in the floor, beam and vault make her one of the favorites, and if she can improve on her performance on the uneven bars, she will likely return home with a medal in hand.
The uneven bars may be a tall order for Raisman, but you should fully expect her to channel her nerves and thrive under the enormous pressure that has made a star out of so many gymnasts in the past.
