Gabrielle Douglas Olympics Routine 'Well Needed' (VIDEO)
Gymnast Gabrielle Douglas has her eyes set on the 2012 London Olympics and is determined to succeed at the games. Her routine, National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi noted, will be "well needed" at the Olympics.
Douglas is only 16 but has already made waves in the world of gymnastics, partly due to her uneven bar routine, and partly because of her pure, natural talent. There are still two events to master before the United States team is officially announced, and Douglas is as determined as anyone else to make sure she is part of that team.
"My number one goal is to go out there and perform," she told reporters after a recent event. "I'm not really thinking about going out and winning. I just want to perform for you guys, hit solid routines and make my coaches and myself happy. Then all the hard work will have paid off."
According to her personal website, Douglas has been competing since 2003 and has been named to the Tops National Team three times. She will compete at the Visa Championships in St. Louis, Missouri this weekend and knows the stakes are high. The top 15 men and women will advance to the Olympic Trials.
"This is the Olympic year, and I know Martha is watching us and watching every little thing we do. This is the first step," she told the Associated Press. Douglas knows that whether or not she makes the Olympic team, the majority of America is firmly in her corner.
"Go Gabrielle! I think she is great! I hope she does well," Bella Serata posted on Yahoo!'s page.
Douglas brings to mind the competitors of the 1996 Olympic gymnastic team, which brought home the gold and produced such stars as Kerri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes and Shannon Miller. Miller brought home gold on the balance beam, which Douglas claims is her best skill.
Watch Douglas perform on the balance beam HERE:
