Gabrielle Douglas takes individual all-around gold, makes USA history
Gabby Douglas pleaded along with her mother to let her move cross country, bound a brand new coach might facilitate her get to the Olympics.
Not 2 years once popping out on her own, Douglas beat Russia's Viktoria Komova for the all-around title Thursday night, turning into the third straight U.S. athlete to win gymnastics' biggest prize and also the 1st African-American to try to to therefore. it absolutely was her second gold medal of the London Games, returning 2 nights once she and her "Fierce Five" teammates gave the us its 1st Olympic title since 1996.
"It feels wonderful to be the Olympic champion," Douglas said.
Puts her in a very special class, too. Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin are the sole alternative Americans to win the Olympic all-around gold.
The Americans are searching for their "next Mary Lou" since she won in 1984, and currently they have her within the 16-year-old Douglas. have a say her adorable "Flying Squirrel" nickname and sweet backstory, and Douglas' 2 gold medals actually will not be her solely riches.
"I haven't thought of that," Douglas said. "I simply wished to seize the instant. you've got to find out a way to get pleasure from the instant."
Her smile alone is enough to dazzle Madison Avenue, and her temperament is greater than she is.
She's even managed to create Oprah Winfrey cry. Douglas had barely gotten off the medals stand when the speak show maven said on Twitter that she was "so THRILLED for Gabby. Flowing happy tears!!"
Coach Liang Chow told Douglas the gold was hers once an electrifying floor routine, however she had to attend another 5 minutes till it absolutely was official. that is as a result of Komova, runner-up finally year's world championships, was still to come back.
Komova's floor routine was spectacular, as well. Finished, she stood at the middle of the theater staring intently at the scoreboard, fingertips pressed to her lips, teammate Aliya Mustafina rubbing her shoulder. When the ultimate standings flashed, Komova dropped her head and headed to the sidelines, tears falling.
Mustafina and Aly Raisman finished with identical voluminous fifty nine.566, however the Russian got the bronze on a tiebreak. all-time low scores for each gymnasts were dropped, and also the remaining 3 were totaled. That gave Mustafina a complete of forty five.933 and Raisman forty five.366.
"I'm still upset as a result of I might are gold and that i did not get it," said Komova, her silver medal buried within the pocket of her warm-up jacket.
Douglas, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. Up within the stands, her mother, Natalie Hawkins, embraced her youngsters and then shared an extended hug with Missy Parton, whose family took Douglas in once she moved to West Des Moines, Iowa, and currently counts her collectively of their own.
"She conjures up me," Hawkins said, pertaining to her champion. "To keep it along in that moment when it meant such {a lot|most} says a lot regarding her."
When Douglas 1st told her mother she wished to maneuver to coach with Chow, who coached Shawn Johnson, Hawkins was deadset against it. one mother, she could not uproot her family, and there was no manner she was getting to enable her youngest kid burst off by herself.
But Douglas' 2 older sisters lobbied on her behalf, giving their mother an inventory of reasons why Gabby ought to be allowed to maneuver. the sole reason to stay: they might miss her.
The move was exhausting on Douglas, too. Though the Partons treat her like their fifth daughter and are currently therefore near Hawkins they will additionally be connected, Douglas missed her family and her dogs. As recently as January, she second-guessed her call. however she additionally knew Chow and his wife, Li Zhuang, might get her where she wished to travel.
"We had to figure along with her consistency," said Martha Karolyi, coordinator of the U.S. women's team. "She had the talents. She had the lightness. She was flying all the time, however generally she would get out of management. however we have a tendency to worked on that, and it extremely helped that Chow has this terribly nice temper, that terribly calmly he was ready to create the corrections and strongly spell out the expectations to her."
Like ten days ago.
Douglas has created a surprising rise this year, going from somebody who could not keep on a bit of apparatus finally year's U.S. championships to beating world champ Jordyn Wieber finally month's Olympic trials. She was currently one amongst the favorites, and being within the spotlight became alittle an excessive amount of to require.
"I assume she was alittle bit afraid of what is earlier than her. that is huge pressure," Chow said.
Known for his simple smile and heat temperament, Chow pulled Douglas aside for a pep speak. no matter he said worked, as a result of she's been unflappable since she 1st took the ground in London.
"It takes innumerable suffering and hardship till you climb to the highest," Karolyi said. "It depends on your character how you're taking those times."
As she did in Tuesday night's team final, Douglas set the tone with the terribly 1st event, vault.
Once again doing the tough Amanar - a roundoff onto the takeoff board, back handspring onto the table and a couple of.5 twisting somersaults before landing - Douglas took atiny low hop to the left and then another, putting her dangerously near the out-of-bounds line. She never looked down, however it absolutely was clear she knew how shut she was, twisting her higher body to the left to soak up the momentum and keep her legs from moving.
She stayed in place - and in bounds - and her fifteen.966 gave her a lead she never relinquished.
Komova cut Douglas' lead in 0.5 on uneven bars, where she appearance additional sort of a delicate hummingbird as she flies between the bars. Her routine is incredibly tough, nevertheless she delivers it with such lightness and elegance. She took atiny low hop on her dismount, however instantly camouflaged it by thrusting her hands into the air and turning to salute the judges.
When her score of fifteen.966 was announced, she nodded slightly as she zipped her warm-up jacket all the thanks to her chin.
Next came balance beam, where Komova and Douglas have struggled. Komova's fall throughout team competition finally year's worlds hurt Russia's probability of catching the Americans; Douglas might need won the U.S. title if not for a fall on the second day of competition.
With the stakes currently more than ever, each were clutch. Most of Komova's tricks were landed with confidence, and her sheep jump - where she thrusts her head and arms back whereas kicking her feet behind her - was exquisite, the soles of her feet brushing her ponytail.
But Douglas did her one higher. She brimmed with confidence as she whipped off a series of back handsprings, landing as simply as she had throughout apply. She knocked out a front somersault with such power the thud of her landing echoed throughout the O2 Arena.
She took atiny low hop forward on her dismount, however it hardly mattered. the design on her face said it all: Yeah, I got this.
"She demonstrated she is an Olympic champion," Chow said. "She restrained a troublesome job and that i assume she did okay."
Her score of fifteen.5 extended her lead over Komova to quite three-tenths of a degree going into the ultimate rotation, floor exercise.
And that the gold reduced to the 2 of them once 2010 world champion Aliya Mustafina and yankee Aly Raisman fell out of the running once errors after all beam.
Though Chow told Douglas to not scrutinize the scoreboard, she admitted she could not resist. a couple of times.
"After vault," she said. "And bars. And beam. And floor."
"She's not a decent listener," Chow chimed in, smiling.
Turns out knowing where she stood did not hurt her performance.
Douglas gets additional air on her tumbling passes than the NBA's Carmelo Anthony, whom she and her teammates met the opposite day, and she or he lands them while not a wobble. not like most gymnasts, who might additionally use elevator music it matter therefore very little, her "We Speak No Americano" is as huge a locality of her routine as any trick. each pass is landed on a beat of the peppy techno music, and do not be shocked if children at the clubs rip off her dance moves.
She had the group clapping - even the hard-to-please Karolyi was moving and grooving - and she or he threw the judges quite one playful grin.
"I love this routine," she said. "I will specific myself."
Her score of fifteen.033 meant Komova required a fifteen.36 or higher to win. When she did not equated, Douglas grabbed herself another gold.
The move, sacrifices, doubts, tears - all of it - had been worthwhile.
"I do not ever recall anybody this quickly rising from a mean sensible gymnast to an amazing one," Karolyi said. "She's simply most a pleasant lady and therefore hardworking and dedicated. ... She simply loves gymnastics and she or he extremely likes to be on the highest."
"I love this routine," she said. "I will specific myself."
Her score of fifteen.033 meant Komova required a fifteen.36 or higher to win. She did not equated, and Douglas grabbed herself another gold.
"I was like, 'All the toil has paid off,"' she said.
