McKayla Maroney: US Gymnast Does a Showstopper Vault, Securing Gold for America
When America secured their place in the women's gymnastics team finals, it was not a guaranteed win for the gold, considering Russia's strong team and drama from the week before.
Jordyn Wieber did not qualify for the individual all-around finals, resulting in her bursting in tears at Sunday's competition and leaving others asking if she could clear her head and concentrate at Tuesday's final team competition. In the end though, she mustered the strength to lead her team to a victory that had not been done since the 1996 Olympics.
But McKayla Maroney, 16, took the spotlight that day among the Americans and her performance was the determining factor in the fate of Team USA: if she nailed it, it would put America well in the lead and prepare them for making history; if she lost, the advantage America had over the Russian team would be gone before they knew it.
In the end, her performance secured the American win for the gold. USA led a five-point lead, claiming the gold with a final score of 183.596.
Maroney also bested the scores of both Wieber and Gabrielle Douglas in Tuesday's final, performing a vault that scored her 16.233 - the highest score in the event and the highest score of the entire women's competition at this year's Olympic Games, according to NBC's official website for the 2012 London Games.
The California-native is the 2011 world vault champion and is also an undisputed contender to win gold for the vault at the individual gymnastics event finals. She secured her spot in that competition over fellow American Wieber.
The warrior has been in battle before and has come out on top. At this year's national championships, she overcame both a concussion and a nasal fracture because she was determined to compete in the Olympic trials. A fracture during the London Games caused her to miss multiple training sessions and without the practice, her abilities were set in question.
But once she got on the vaulting table on Tuesday, Maroney mesmerized the crowd and judges alike. She was no longer questionable.
