Meet the USA women's gymnastics team
Meet the 2016 USA women's gymnastics team going for glory at the Rio Olympics.
In 2012, the U.S. women's gymnastic team took home the team gold medal - the first since 1996 - and the all-around individual title went to Gabby Douglas. This year's squad is equally talented, and is favored to bring home even more gold.
Simone Biles
Just 19 years old, Simone Biles is the favorite to win the women's world gymnastics all-around title and is considered a strong contender to win five gold medals in all. She was the first African-American female to win the all-around title with her win in 2013. In addition, she's the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles. Her 10 world gold medals is the most by any female gymnast in history.
Now, she's seeking Olympic gold in Rio in her inaugural Games.
The gymnast was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1997, but her hometown is Spring, Texas. She discovered gymnastics through a day care center field trip and started competing at age seven.
Biles has three siblings: Ronald II, Adam and Adria. Simone and her sister Adria, who is also involved in gymnastics, were raised by their grandparents Ron and Nellie, because of their mother Shanon's struggle with substance abuse. The two girls were officially adopted by their grandparents when Simone was six.
Simone Biles
Many consider Biles to be the best American gymnast ever. Biles "may be the most talented gymnast I've ever seen in my life," former gymnastic star Mary Lou Retton told the U.S. Olympics website teamusa.org. "And I don't think she's tapped into what she can really do." Teammate Aly Raisman has said Biles is in a league of her own.
The gymnast's favorite event is the floor. She has a move she invented named her after that is simply called "The Biles," a complex flip double flip in the layout position that includes a half twist.
After the Olympics are over, Biles plans to attend UCLA and turn pro.
Simone Biles
Simone Biles of the United States competes on the floor during Women's qualification for Artistic Gymnastics on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Gabby Douglas
Back in 2012, Gabby Douglas was one of the United States' biggest stars of the Olympics. The first African-American U.S. woman to win the individual all-around title at the Olympic Games, she helped lead the squad to a team gold as well.
Douglas, 20, is the first reigning all-around gold medalist to return to the next games since Nadia Comaneci in 1980. She and Raisman, 22, became the first U.S. women gymnasts to make back-to-back Olympic teams since 2000.
Gabby Douglas
Douglas became a Virginia State Gymnastic Champion at the mere age of eight. At 14, she left behind her family to move to Des Moines, Iowa to train with well-known coast Liang Chow. Martha Karolyli, the U.S. women's team coordinator, nicknamed Douglas the "Flying Squirrel" for her skill on the uneven bars.
Douglas took a break from competition in 2014, but in 2015 made the Women's World Championship team for the U.S. Despite finishing seventh at the Olympic trials, she earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
Here, performing on the beam Douglas shows of her impressive leaping ability at the 2012 London Olympics.
Gabby Douglas
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas competes in the qualifying for the women's Beam event of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 7, 2016.
Madison Kocian
Gymnast Madison Kocian was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She excels on the uneven bars and is the reigning world champion in the event. Her world title came shortly after her first national title in 2015. The 2015 uneven bars competition had an unusual outcome: four women received the same score, and each receive a gold medal.
Madison Kocian
Kocian graduated from high school in 2015 and plans to attend UCLA after the Rio Olympics.
Madison Kocian
Madison Kocian competes in the qualifying for the women's Uneven Bars event of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 7, 2016.
Aly Raisman
Team captain Aly Raisman experienced highs and lows in the 2012 London Olympics. She won two gold medals, a team gold and individual one in the floor exercise, as well as a bronze for the beam (in a tie-breaker against Catlina Ponor of Romania).
Raisman beat out teammate Jordyn Wieber in 2012 to compete for the all-around title. She suffered a heartbreaking loss in the individual all-around competition, losing the bronze to Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina in a tie-breaker.
The Massachusetts native started gymnastics at age two thanks to a "Mommy and Me" class. She is known as one of the best tumblers in the world.
Aly Raisman
Raisman was elected team captain again for the 2016 Olympics and at 22 is the oldest member of the team. According to NBC, her teammates jokingly call her "Grandma Aly" because of her age and love of naps.
Aly Raisman
Aly Raisman competes in the qualifier for the women's Floor event of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 7, 2016.
Laurie Hernandez
Laurie Hernandez, from Old Bridge, N.J., is the 2016 all-around uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise bronze medalist.
Hernandez missed competing in 2014 after fracturing her wrist early in the year and dislocating her right kneecap, tearing a patella ligament, as well as bruising her MCL. Surgery was required. But she made a strong comeback in 2015. At the national championships she won the gold in the all-around event and on the uneven bars. She became eligible for Olympic competition at age 16.
Laurie Hernandez
Sixteen-year-old Hernandez is the first U.S.-born Hispanic female gymnast at the Olympics in more than 30 years.
Laurie Hernandez
Laurie Hernandez competes in the qualifying for the women's Beam event of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 7, 2016.