TRENDING

The 2016 Summer Olympics are just around the corner and, like us, we know many of you are ready to park it in front of the TV on August 5th with the fam to watch Team USA compete against athletes from all over the world at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro .

Before that can happen, though, teams must be finalized. Last night was the first of the two 2016 Olympic gymnastics trials where 14 amazing gymnasts competed against one another for a spot on Team USA. Only after the second day of the trials, though, will we know who made the final cut and go onto the Olympics to rep the U.S. in Rio. If you missed the first part of the trials, we've got the deets on every flip, tumble and stumble below. 

Simone Biles finished in first with a score of 61.850, Laurie Hernandez placed second with a score of 60.850 while Aly Raisman finished in third with a score of 59.950. But don't get too excited now. Remember that, they'll have to work hard again in Sunday's trails to secure their spot.

There’s no surprise that Simone took first by a whole point. Despite a major (and super surprising) bobble on the balance beam last night. Biles brought her usual A-game. The 19-year-old gymnast has not lost an all-around competition in the past three years and her difficulty start values are so far above some of the other gymnasts that she’s nearly impossible to beat–talk about major skill! She’s been favored to win the Olympic trials for a while now, specifically by Martha Karolyi, national gymnastics team coordinator. Martha even told NBC that Biles is definitely “one of the most talented ones.”

Second place finisher 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez also stood out last night. Competing at the Olympics has been a dream of hers since she was only 5 years old and if she keeps it up, her dreams might very well come true. Laurie has won several national and international titles, including all-around bronze at P&G Championships, right behind Simone and Aly. She’s known for her high-energy floor routine and consistency, so she’s a girl you want to keep your eyes on.

Then we have Aly Raisman, 2012 Olympic floor champion. At 22 years old, Aly is one of the older gymnasts competing, but according to the Wall Street Journal she’s determined to show the world that she’s only gotten stronger since 2012. She explains that, “A lot of times the media tries to say that it’s impossible.” The fierce competitor had an amazingly solid performance on all four events last night and it definitely showed in her scores.

Aly’s former Olympic teammate on the other hand, Gaby Douglas, did not have as great of a night. Gaby did not complete many of her skills to their highest degree of difficulty and even had a fall on balance beam. Many fans tweeted about the fact that she did not seem like the Gaby that they saw compete in London. Douglas finished in seventh place (out of 14) for the night.

The only gymnast that will automatically advance to Rio will be the gymnast with the highest all-around score at the end of Day 2 of the trials (last year, that was Gaby…). The rest of the Olympic team will be chosen by the Olympic Selection Committee, which includes Martha Karolyi. You also have to remember that it’s not necessarily the gymnasts with the top five all-around scores that go through to the games. The gymnasts are chosen based on their strengths since not all of them will compete on all four events at the Olympics. 

So, really, it's still anyone's game, and we can’t wait to see the official squad on Sunday evening. 

Who do you want to see on the Olympic gymnastics team? Tell us in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Teen Vogue.

by Kristina Lee | 7/9/2016