London Wish List

This is my wish list for the Olympic games. I'm sure there are a few more that I want to add to the list, and if I think of them I will definitely make a second post.

1. Jordyn and Gabby to be gold and silver medalists in the All Around.


I'd like to say I don't really have a preference of who gets the gold but I have to say like just a tiny bit of me wants Jordyn to come out on top. I think it's because she reminds me so much of Shawn in 2007-2008, winning everything she could win (minus Olympic Trials & Jesolo) and I know to win all that and then not win Olympic gold has to feel like just a little bit of a let down even though a silver is nothing to be ashamed of! I just feel like Jordyn has had the consistency and Gabby has not. But, I digress, as long as USA goes 1, 2 in the All Around I will be happy! It's not going to be any walk in the park though. Komova, Mustafina, Iorchade can all challenge, as well as Jao Yinnan of China.

2. Aliya Mustafina to medal on bars and be at least top 5 in the All Around.


I love Aliya! I have to say that she is my favorite non-US gymnast this year. She is so fierce and I love her drive and competitiveness. She has an incredible bars routine that could contend for a medal, but the bars final is going to be absolutely amazing, so many gymnasts have amazing routines. I hope she can get onto the medal podium. As for the All Around, I don't know if I think that she can medal, but I hope that she at least can make top 5. Reports say she is not training her Amanar, just a DTY, which I think is smart given her Achilles injury last year, but hey -- she could definitely surprise us. I would definitely like her to be the highest Russian finisher, I much prefer her style, gymnastics, and attitude to Komova's.

3. Oksana Chusovitina to medal on Vault in her last (and SIXTH!) Olympic games.


This woman is truly, truly extraordinary! She began competing internationally in 1989. This is her sixth Olympics and she has competed for three different countries over the years, and she now competes for Germany. She is a powerhouse on Vault and I really, really wish for her to medal in her last Olympics. I have so much respect for her both as a person and as a gymnast because she continues to do what she loves, in a sport where anywhere past teens, you're considered old. What an amazing way for her to end her career.

4. Aly Raisman to win a gold medal on Floor Exercise.


I know it is quite a long shot, as there are many, many amazing FX routines in the world today. I just really think that Aly's can stand with the best of them, as long as she performs to the best of her ability and hits! I really want her to win an individual medal because I know for a long time (actually, up until the last year), Aly probably thought it was going to be her and Jordyn in the All Around in London. If it is to be Gabby and Jordyn, I really want Aly to be able to come away with an individual medal for herself because I believe she deserves it and her floor routine is among the best in the world.

5. Beth Tweddle to get the gold medal on Uneven Bars.


Obviously, I want the Americans to win as many gold medals as possible. However, if they don't win the gold on bars, I really want Beth Tweddle to take the gold. She is 27 years old and her bar routines over the years have just been FANTASTIC to watch and her winning in front of the Great Britain home crowd would just be a wonderful experience for her. I hope that she hits in qualifying, and does great in the Finals as well! Again though, the bars final is going to be STACKED with difficult routines, so it is really anyone's to win!

6. Kyla Ross to make an Event Final.


I really want Kyla to make either the Uneven Bars or Balance Beam event final. It will be close either way, if she gets the high execution scores she is known for and sticks her landings the way she did at Trials, I think she could sneak into either one. I honestly don't know if she'd be able to medal in either event, but I think just to make an event final would be a huge accomplishment for her. Her and Gabby have the highest scores for Team USA on bars, so that is a definite possibility. However, if she were to make beam finals, that would mean either Jordyn or Aly would not, which would be surprising. And overall I just want Kyla to have really great routines in London.

8. Catalina Ponor to medal on Balance Beam.


Catalina is a three time gold medalist from the 2004 Athens games (Team, BB, and FX).  She announced her retirement in 2007 but then returned to gymnastics and training in 2011 and is now back to compete in London. I am very excited to be able to watch her in London, she has always been such a strong gymnast for the Romanian team and I'm so happy that she is back!! Her beam routines in '04 were fabulous and she also won gold at the Europeans this year. I would really like to see her qualify for the beam final and come away with a medal!

8. USA to win the Team gold medal.


This is the one wish I want most of all. There were so many expectations of gold from both the Athens and the Beijing teams. Now this year has been the same. I really hope that all of these expectations aren't what is causing Team USA to keep coming up short of the gold. And not really the expectations themselves, but the pressure that comes along with them to win gold. I hope that this Olympics the curse of being the World Champion coming into the Olympic games will be broken and that Team USA will come away with gold. They are the favorite, but that does not by any means mean it will be easy. They will be fighting, as usual, with Russia, Romania, and China. I hope so much that they come out on top. I know they can do it, it's just a matter of hitting routines!


Well, there is my London Wish List!! I will try and do blogs throughout the games after Prelims! Thank you all for reading!