Aly Raisman Wins Spot on Olympics Gymnastics Team
— Jewish-American Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman has been named to the U.S. women’s gymnastics team.
Raisman, 22, will compete in her second Olympics when she heads to the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned two gold medals in the 2012 games in London: for floor exercise and one as part of the team competition.
The team announced on Sunday is being touted as the most racially diverse. It includes two African-American gymnasts, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles; a Latina, Laurie Hernandez; Raisman and Madison Kocian.
Raisman posted a photo of the team on her Twitter feed.
Your 2016 Olympic team baby!!!! pic.twitter.com/GHiXOm5MHf
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) July 11, 2016
At 22, Raisman is the oldest member of the team, which reportedly has earned her the nickname “Grandma.” Raisman and Douglas both competed on the gold medal-winning 2012 Olympic team.
Following the London Olympics, Raisman took time off from gymnastics to enjoy opportunities that had come her way — performing on tour with her teammates, competing on “Dancing With The Stars,” and being a special guest at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel, the global Jewish sporting event.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO