One month to go! Meet the USA Gymnastics Team
In 2012, the USA women's gymnastics team, affectionately nicknamed the "Fierce Five", pummeled their way through the competition to win Team All-Around gold at the London Olympics. In doing so, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Weiber, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney became only the second U.S. team to take home the coveted crown. Individually, they impressed as well. Gabby Douglas was victorious in the Individual All-Around, while her fellow teammates Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney magnificently tumbled and vaulted their way on to the medal podium taking gold and silver in their respective events.
Armed with an accomplished squad of veterans (in their early twenties...!) and eager young guns ready to prove themselves, the 2016 U.S. gymnastics team set forth for Rio with their sights firmly on more golden success. And this acclaimed group did not disappoint. Team USA not only finished the Olympics atop of the overall gymnastic medal table, ahead of rivals Russia and Great Britain, but in doing so they also doubled their 2012 total medal count from six to twelve!
The women’s team defended their Team All-Around title and pocket-rocket, three-time World Champion Simone Biles substantiated her position as the world’s best gymnast by claiming gold in the Individual All-Around, Vault and Floor disciplines in addition to a bronze on the Balance Beam. 2012 Olympic Floor champion Aly Raisman proved her gymnastic longevity by taking silver in both the Individual All-Around and Floor events; runner-up to none other than Simone! Success was also seen on the Uneven Bars and Balance Beam, with both Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez claiming silver medals.
Not to be completely outdone by this iconic “Fierce Five”, the men’s team experienced triumph of their own at the Arena Olímpica do Rio. Danell Leyva backed-up his London 2012 Individual All-Around bronze by capturing two silver medals in the Parallel and Horizontal Bars. Team USA received its final gymnastics medal when Alexander Naddour claimed his first Olympic glory with a bronze on the Pommel Horse.
On the back of their Olympic achievements, these incredible gymnastic stars will be coming to AMALIE Arena on October 30 when Team USA descends on Tampa as a part of the 36-city Kellogg's® Tour of Gymnastics Champions. This exciting event promises fans a high-flying, dynamic experience that celebrates the sport’s beauty and skill. Bigger and better than ever, the show's format pairs elite gymnastics skill with modern performance art that pushes the boundaries of athleticism.
The question is, who will be there? Let’s find out...
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is from Spring, TX and despite her small stature, is seemingly unstoppable at this point in her career. Before the Olympics even began, Simone was the three-time World All-Around champion, four-time National All-Around champion, and a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2014 and the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. On the world stage, she was already a 14-time World medalist (10 gold, two silver, two bronze). However, by the time she had finished her last event at the Arena Olímpica do Rio, her supreme efforts had made her the 2016 Olympic Team, All-Around, Vault and Floor champion, and balance beam bronze medalist.
To put her achievement into historical context, Simone is the first African-American to be World All-Around Champion and the first woman to win three consecutive World All-Around titles. Garnering praise from all those who have seen her compete, Mary Lou Retton, 1984 Olympic all-around champion, went as far to say that "Just when we thought we were at the physical limit of the sport, then here comes Simone Biles. She's the best I've ever seen."
Gabby Douglas
The golden girl of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Gabby Douglas is from Newport News, VA. Nicknamed the "The Flying Squirrel" for her captivating Uneven Bar routine, Gabby is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, 2012 Olympic team and All-Around champion, as well as most recently becoming the 2016 Olympic Team champion. In addition to her Olympic titles, Gabby is a two-time World Championships Team champion, All-Around silver medalist and Uneven Bars bronze medalist.
Gabby was the first African American woman in Olympic history to become the Individual All-Around champion, and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the Individual All-Around and Team competitions at the same Olympics. Along with Simone Biles, she is one of two American All-Around champions to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic Games.
Laurie Hernandez
Aged just sixteen years old, Laurie Hernandez is from New Brunswick, NJ. She started gymnastics aged five, and received considerable attention at the USA Olympic qualifier meets. While she has not had many opportunities to compete internationally, Laurie has ensured she has peaked at the right time. At the 2016 National Championships she won bronze in all four of the events she entered and assisted the "Fierce Five" to win Team gold at the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, and most recently at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Individually she also had great success by winning the silver medal on the Balance Beam, and in doing so, impressively finished ahead of bronze medalist Simone Biles.
Madison Kocian
Madison Kocian, the second sixteen year old on Team USA, is from Dallas, TX. Defying a potentially disastrous ankle injury, Madison impressed at the U.S. Olympic qualifying meets to secure her place in Rio. Madison has a unique ability on the Uneven Bars to glide her long, lean body through the air with precision to impress fans and judges alike. It was this technique that contributed to Team USA’s victory in the Olympic team event in Rio and also gave Madison her first individual medal in the Uneven Bars when she won silver. Madison’s gymnastics’ résumé also boasts the 2015 World Team and Uneven Bars gold medals, and 2014 World Team gold.
Aly Raisman
Aly Raisman, the apparent ‘veteran’ of the Team USA women’s gymnastics team, is from Needham, MA. Starting gymnastics aged two, Aly is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion. Heralded for her dynamic Floor routine and her precision on the Beam, she won three medals at London 2012 with gold in the Team and Individual Floor exercise events as well as a bronze medal for her Beam Routine. And in Rio she did not disappoint. She helped Team USA defend their Team title in addition to securing a two further silver medals in the Individual All-Around and Floor exercise. Outside of the Olympics games, Aly is the 2015 World Team gold medalist and a three-time World Championships medalist.
Chris Brooks
Originally from Houston, TX, Chris Brooks made his Olympics debut aged 29 at this summer’s Olympics Games in Rio after being selected as an alternate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Throughout his career, Chris has been no stranger to the medal podium. He was a two-time bronze medalist at the 2010 World Cup, won four golds and one silver at the Pacific Rim Championships in 2012, as well as being the horizontal bars US National Champion on three separate occasions.
Jake Dalton
Two-time Olympian Jack Dalton, Team USA representative at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, is from Reno, NV. A former Pacific Rim Championships Team and Floor exercise champion in 2012 and four-time medalist at the World Championships, Jake performed strongly in Rio. He positively contributed to the final of the Team event, where Team USA finished in the top five, and also qualified in second position for the Floor exercise final.
Danell Leyva
Coached by his charismatic and energetic step-father, Danell Leyva, originally from Cuba, resides in Miami, FL. Danell is a five-time World Championships medalist, four-time National Parallel Bars champion and three-time Olympic medal winner. Medaling at each Olympic Games he has been a part of, Danell won the All-Around bronze medal in London and then surpassed his efforts this summer when he took silver in both the Parallel and Horizontal bars in Rio.
Sam Mikulak
Sam Mikulak, a 23 year old hailing from Corona del Mar, CA, is the son of two former college gymnasts. He took his first gymnastic tumble aged two and followed in his parents footsteps when he enrolled at the University of Michigan. After achieving success in the NCAA championships, he became Michigan’s first U.S. male Olympian at the 2012 London Games. Sam is now a two-time Olympian after representing Team USA in Rio as well as achieving team bronze at 2014 World Championships and winning four medals, two of them gold, at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Alex Naddour
Making his Olympic debut in Rio after spending the 2012 Games as an alternate, 25 year old Alex Naddour originates from Gilbert, AZ. His strengths lie in his Pommel Horse routine, which he used to great effect to secure a bronze medal in Rio as well as successfully contributing to Team USA’s top five finish in the Team All-Around competition. In addition to this recent achievement, Alex is a two-time World Championships team bronze medalist and the 2016 Pacific Rim champion in the Team and Pommel Horse disciplines.
Other athletes on the Kellogg's® Tour of Gymnastics Champions include;
- 2016 Olympic Rhythmic gymnasts: Kiana Eide, Monica Rokhman, Jennifer Rokhman, Kristen Shaldybin and Laura Zeng
- 2016 Olympic Trampolinists: Nicole Ahsinger and Logan Dooley
- 2016 Olympic replacement athletes: Ashton Locklear, MyKayla Skinner, Donnell Whittenburg, Brandon Wynn and Ragan Smith
- World acrobatic gymnastics mixed pair medalists: Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams
- 2012 Olympic team champion Jordyn Wieber
- 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin
- 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson
- 2004 Olympian Mary Sanders
- 1996 Olympian John Macready
We look forward to seeing you, as well as our spellbounding athletes, on October 30 at Amalie Arena!