Here are five things you may not know about U.S. Olympic hopeful Aly Raisman:
1. She will be doing her Amanar vault more this year. Raisman stood up exactly one Amanar in competition in 2011 (at the CoverGirl Classic, en route to winning the all-around title) before reverting to her safer double-twisting Yurchenko. But in a recent interview with Gymnastike, Raisman said she's refined the vault for the Olympic season. "I'm definitely going to do a two and a half," she said. "They've been a lot more consistent lately and I feel like things are just kind of clicking so I'm excited to show everyone."
2. She's a Bieber devotee. Raisman is a fan of Justin Bieber, though not quite as much as her 2011 Worlds roommate Jordyn Wieber. "Yes, I do like Justin Bieber. But I'm not as obsessed with him as she is," Raisman said at the 2011 Worlds in Tokyo. "But we would all love to meet him if he would want to meet us."
3. Leave it to the pros. Raisman initially committed to the University of Florida, but after the U.S. team's success at Worlds, she opted to give up her NCAA eligibility and signed with Octagon 8, which also represents Michael Phelps.
4. "Hava Nagila" will be her 2012 floor music. Raisman's music and choreography were new in 2011 and helped her earn World bronze on floor in Tokyo, her first individual medal at Worlds. Though the routine will remain the same, Raisman is planning to change her tumbling, and is working two new passes (watch them on Gymnastike.)
5. Her goals for 2012 include "refining routines," on every event, she said in Tokyo. "I don't think I'll be doing a lot of upgrading, just because there's not much time until May, which is when the selection process really starts," she said. "So I'll just really be perfecting everything, staying positive and trying to stay healthy."
Comments