Nailed it! On Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, the Final Five claimed the top title during the Rio Olympics. The US Women’s Gymnastics team won gold by a massive margin in the all-around competition, an eight-point spread. The Final Five got in formation at this elite sports competition with a final score of 184.897 to Russia’s176.688.
The athletic quintet adopted their nickname because this in fact will be the last Olympics where there will be a five-girl team. The next Olympics will feature a four-person team. And gymnastics coach Martha Karolyi, 73, is retiring, so it’s also a nod to her. She coordinated the United States Women’s Gymnastics national team and has led the team in 11 Olympics.
See information about the current team members below.
Simone Biles, 19
(Hometown: Columbus, Ohio)
Three-time all-around world champion (2013-15) and now Olympic gold medalist Simone Arianne Biles has won more golds than any female gymnast at a single world championships; she has 10. This year was her first time at the Olympics and she dominated and executed, flawlessly. And this girl just made her debut in 2013.
Gabby Douglas, 20
(Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia)
From 2012’s Fierce Five to 2016’s Final Five, Gabrielle Christina Victoria “Gabby” Douglas is no doubt a household name and America’s darling. She, like teammate Laurie Hernandez, won her first gold medal at 16. And she became the first African American to become Olympic All-Around champion.
Laurie Hernandez, 16
(Hometown: Old Bridge, New Jersey)
This year was Lauren Hernandez’s first time at the Olympics. Hernandez went undefeated in junior division all-arounds in 2015, winning four straight gold medals, including the junior all-around title at the national championships. She’s been homeschooled since the third grade.
Madison Kocian, 19
(Hometown: Dallas, Texas)
This year was Madison Taylor Kocian’s first time at the Olympics. Kocian won gold during a four-way tie on uneven bars. China’s Fan Yilin and Russia’s Viktoria Komova and Daria Spiridonova all received gold medals at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championship in Glasgow, Scotland. She will attend UCLA this fall.
Aly Raisman, 22
(Hometown: Needham, Massachusetts)
Alexandra Rose “Aly” Raisman is the most decorated American gymnast at the Rio Olympics game. She served as captain this season and during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she won gold medals in the team and floor competitions, as well as a bronze medal on the balance beam.
Raisman’s parents were quite animated during this year’s games in Rio de Janeiro, doing stadium gymnastics, leaning and twisting every time their daughter hit a flip or did a turn. “They think that they are doing gymnastics,” Raisman tells NBC. “They swerve around. I don’t even know what they are doing.”
The United States women’s gymnastics national team has only three gold medals in the all-around competition (Magnificent Seven, 1996; Fierce Five, 2012; Final Five, 2016). Douglas and Raisman have two of them in their collection. also, Aly Raisman and Gabrielle Douglas, who became the first US women to win three Olympic gold medals overall.
