Urbandale’s Gowey to Compete in U.S. Gymnastic Olympic Trials

“Gabby seems to have something left at the end”, Karolyi says, “That has been her history, and I expect the same”.

The all-around title was Simone Biles’ to lose after she opened a 2.45-point lead over the rest of the field on opening night. Yet there was no rust.

Last moments at the Olympics: Standing on the Olympic podium while those around her cried tears of joy (Douglas’ mother) or devastation (silver medalist Viktoria Komova). “I think it was starting on the floor”. She’s the first woman in 40-plus years to win four titles.

Not in the US and certainly not in the rest of the world. She has already won individual titles on floor and beam and she has added a hard second vault, a Cheng Fei (round-off, half twist onto the horse, followed by a laid-out back flip with 1 1/2 twists) to her arsenal.

Balance beam: ultra-solid and a score of 15.700.

Upon finishing the routine, it was clear how well she had done as former gymnastics champion-turned-sports announcer Nastia Liukin can be heard saying: ‘Well, it doesn’t really get much better than that’. Nichols, performing her second and final event of the day, had a couple of balance checks on beam and scored only 13.9. No one is even close to her in level of difficulty or execution.

Douglas channeled her emotions after the rare miscue on the bars.

“I don’t think there’s any such thing as flawless in gymnastics anymore”, Biles said.

So was Karolyi, who will have plenty to think about over the next two weeks as she tries to find the right four women to join Biles on the plane to Brazil in August. “That’s exactly what you look for, to see if she can handle the pressure and if she feels comfortable with that setting”. “They’re explosive and full with energy but sometimes they can be annoyed with doing the very same routine”.

Maggie Haney, who has coached Hernandez since the New Jersey-born and raised gymnast was 5 years old, explained why there was a short turnaround. The reigning Olympic all-around champ had some form breaks in St. Louis and hasn’t added much to her routines from four years ago.

“Not just a possibility”, he said of her chance of being the fourth consecutive American all-around gold medalist.

Taking the silver medal and looking more confident than she had in perhaps her entire career was Aly Raisman. Last fall, the Minnesotan was a popular pick to make Team USA when she finished second to Biles at the US championships and then starred at the world championships. Yet she did to avoid a major deduction, a trait Karolyi welcomes almost as much as a flawlessly executed routine. Overall, it is Locklear with the edge, with the combined scores from both nights giving her a second bars national title.

The 19-year-old Columbus, Ohio native joined fellow talented gymnasts (including 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas) to compete in the US championships over the weekend and her performance was nothing short of wonderful.

HOW THE SELECTION PROCESS WORKS: The results from the P&G National Championships will determine which women will advance to the Olympic Trials. On bars, her weakest event, she showed no sign of a struggle. “For me, there is no question that there is nobody else like her”. The opposite appears to be happening for Team USA.

Karolyi teased coming into nationals that she already has five women in mind for Rio.