Gabrielle Douglas Wins Gymnastics Gold (VIDEO)
Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas wins gold in women’s all-around gymnastics, while American teammate Aly Raisman ties for third but gets no medal; Dominique Dawes, Timbaland, Michael Phelps, other celebs Tweet congrats
Gabby Douglas – aka “The Flying Squirrel” – won Olympic gold Thursday night in the most coveted prize in gymnastics – the women’s all-around competition. Her win came just two days after she helped the American women’s team take gold for the team competition, which also gave teammates Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber a gold medal.
WATCH: Judo Olympic Gold Winner Kayla Harrison on What Her Win Means
For Raisman, 18, Thursday night was a disappointment. The women’s team captain tied for third place in the all-around but didn’t receive a bronze medal. Instead, the International Gymnastics Federation gave the bronze medal to Russian Aliya Mustafina because the total of Mustafina’s three best events was higher than Raisman’s by more than half a point. The two finished with the same score of 59.566. Russian Viktoria Komova won the silver medal. But Raisman remained ever-gracious and congratulatory of the other winners.
Related: U.S. Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Wins Gold
“Have mixed feelings about tonight! Definitely bitter sweet. Tied for third at the Olympics but didn’t get a medal with the tie breaker!” she wrote on Twitter. “Still such an amazing experience I’m so excited for floor and beam finals! I’m so proud and happy. I hope I made America proud tonight.”
You did, Aly! And so did Gabby, 16, in her her historic win, for being the first African-American to win the all-around title. Douglas received congratulatory Tweets from celebrities the likes of Michael Phelps, actresses Gabrielle Union and Elizabeth Banks, Oprah Winfrey, and musicians Timbaland, Estelle and Niki Minaj.
“I thought it was emotional making history in 96 but I’m realizing it’s just as emotional watching @gabrielledoug make history in her right!” Tweeted Dominique Dawes, who was the first African American to win gymnastics gold on the 1996 women’s gymnastics team.
Meanwhile, on the men’s team, American Steven Gluckstein is hoping for a medal in today’s trampoline events.
Watch Steven and his brother Jeffrey, also a trampoline gymnast, talk to genConnect about staying focused & competing in the same sport:
WATCH: Rhythmic Gymnast Julie Zetlin – A Gold Medal Is ‘Every Athlete’s Dream’
The Glucksteins, from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., say that being brothers and competitors makes them better athletes, but “emotionally, it’s a roller coaster,” since both want to win yet both want the best for each other. They experienced that emotional roller coaster in late June, when Steven won the U.S. Gymnastic Trampoline trials, but Jeffrey came in third, meaning only Steve will be competing in the London Olympic Games, which begin later this month.
“It usually stays in the gym but sometimes it comes up at home – and we just talk about it,” Jeffrey said of the competition on the tramp, but it’s usually “pretty laid back.”
Click here for more of genConnect’s coverage of the 2012 Road to the Olympics
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Category: Lifestyle, Sports, Videos, Views on the News
