• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
MPWMost Powerful Women

Meet the 5 Amazing Women of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team

By
Rennie Dyball
Rennie Dyball
,
People
People
, and
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Rennie Dyball
Rennie Dyball
,
People
People
, and
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 11, 2016, 11:10 AM ET
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials - Women's Gymnastics - Day 2
Photograph by Ronald Martinez—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This article originally appeared in People.

In a field with such depth that the U.S. has far more Rio-ready gymnasts than they can take, five athletes have been selected to go the 2016 Olympic Games.

After a hard-fought Olympic trial, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian were announced as the team headed to Rio at the conclusion of the two-night trials on Sunday.

Even before the selection committee announced their picks, favorites Biles and Raisman cried and embraced one another. Douglas struggled on beam both nights of trials, with a fall each night, but her strength on uneven bars won her the spot on the team.

The three replacement athletes traveling to Rio with the team are Mykayla Skinner, Ragan Smith and Ashton Locklear.

Biles, often described as the most dominant female athlete in gymnastics (and beyond), won the Olympic trials all-around, giving her the lone automatic berth to the team. She made an uncharacteristic mistake on balance beam, resulting in a fall, but still finished in the top spot at the trials. Douglas and Raisman, teammates from the 2012 gold medal-winning Olympic team, were favorites headed into the trials, while the final two spots went to Madison Kocian, the world champion on bars, and Laurie Hernandez, a first-year senior who finished second to Biles at the trials.

The U.S.A. is expected to dominate in Rio, which will be team coordinator Marta Karolyi’s swan song – she’s retiring after the Games.

With the Olympics less than a month away, here’s a look at the women going for gymnastics gold in Brazil in August.

Simone Biles

Biles, the reigning three-time world all-around champion, is heavily favored to win the individual all-around gold medal in Rio – and for good reason. For the 19-year-old Texas native, the “Michael Jordan of Gymnastics,” it would cap off an epic career: She’s a three-time all-around world champion and a four-time national champ. She’s also got an inspiring backstory: the 4-foot-8 athlete was born to a mother addicted to drugs and alcohol, and was placed in foster care until her maternal grandparents were able to take her in. “It’s so unreal,” Biles said at the conclusion of the trials. “I’m just proud and honored to be selected.”

Gabby Douglas

The 20-year-old was the first African-American gymnast to become the individual all-around champion at the Olympics in 2012, as well as earning gold with her team. She’s hoping to make history again by defending her all-around win (something that hasn’t been done since 1968) in Rio this summer, and she’s been learning from her stumbles along the way. “Trying to make it happen again is definitely a lot of hard work and pushing myself every day is a lot of dedication, but it’s worth it,” Douglas told PEOPLE. And after the trials, she concluded, “It’s very emotional. I’m so grateful and so honored.”

Aly Raisman

Raisman was also a member of the “Fierce Five” group that claimed gold in London. At 22, she is the oldest person on the team – and her experience makes her a strong member. “Right now, she’s in a very good place. She’s trusting her strengths and not trying to do anything earthshaking, just do the routines she’s prepared for, and I am very pleased with how she looks through the training session,” Marta Karolyi said of her performance on Thursday. “It doesn’t sink in at all,” Raisman said after trials. “Hopefully we can bring Team U.S.A. another gold medal.”

Laurie Hernandez

Hernandez, 16, capped off a very strong two nights of trials with a near-flawless beam routine … and chants of her name from the crowd of 17,000. The New Jersey native has an especially lively floor exercise that always ignites the crowd.

Madison Kocian

Despite its dominance on the world stage, Team U.S.A. does have a relatively weak event: uneven bars. So one of the spots on the five-woman team was expected to go to a bars specialist. And that spot went to 19-year-old Kocian who turned in top scores on the apparatus at the trials.

About the Authors
By Rennie Dyball
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By People
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Illustration of a bomb with the Bitcoin logo printed on it, against an orange background.
CryptoCryptocurrency
Bitcoin down 20% since May as Strategy fallout spooks investors
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 26, 2026
3 days ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
SuccessMacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
4 days ago
‘We are in agony’: Today Show host Savannah Guthrie begs public for help as reports surface her missing 84-year-old mom might be dead
North AmericaMedia
‘We are in agony’: Today Show host Savannah Guthrie begs public for help as reports surface her missing 84-year-old mom might be dead
By The Associated PressJune 24, 2026
5 days ago
rp
CommentaryLaw
Cooley CEO: Big Law won’t survive if it treats AI as just an efficiency tool
By Rachel ProffittJune 23, 2026
6 days ago
astronaut
Commentaryspace
NASA just named an all-male crew for ‘Artemis III’: what’s a woman to do?
By Savanah F.S. Bray, PhDJune 22, 2026
7 days ago
gg
PoliticsElections
‘People are tired of hearing what government can’t do’: Democratic Socialists surge nationwide
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
9 days ago

Most Popular

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
2 days ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
4 days ago
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
Success
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
Success
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
By Preston ForeJune 28, 2026
23 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
Politics
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
By Jason MaJune 28, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.