USA gymnast Gabby Douglas won the Olympic Gold for the women’s all-around title on Thursday at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The 16-year-old athlete made history by winning the most coveted prize of all and became the first African-American to win the women’s all-around title.
Douglas led from the start, finishing with 62.232 points and beating Russia’s Victoria Komova who had 61.973. Russia’s Aliya Mustafina took the bronze. American Aly Raisman finished fourth after a tie-break ruling. She and Mustafina finished with 59.566, but the Russian won the bronze because the tie-breaker combines their top three scores of the day. Her 16.1 on the uneven bars to Raisman’s 14.333 made the difference.
Douglas began the day with a 15.966 on the vault, the highest score of the 24-gymnast field. She also had the highest score on the beam, the third of four rotations.
Missing among the 24 gymnasts competing for the title on Thursday was the teenager favored to win it all, reigning world champion Jordyn Wieber, who finished fourth in qualifying. Since only two gymnasts from each country are allowed to advance to the finals, Wieber could only cheer from.
“I hope that I inspire people,” Douglas said. “I want to inspire people. My mother said you can inspire a nation.”
She definitely inspires me – does she inspire you??
