MCSMaria's Artistic Gymnastics Blog

The ladies of Team USA have arrived in Rio and have begun preparing for their expected Olympic domination. Photos and videos are beginning to surface of the team. Instead of donning the traditional hot pink training leos that have been associated with team USA since the dawn of time, the ladies sport a patriotic red leo with a blue stripe with white stars. Simple, minimalist and definitly not hot pink. #RipHotPinkNation. Photo via Gymternet Clan

The Russian Team has had it's share of drama populating the headlines lately. The tension is palpable with the impending possible doom of an entire ban of Russia from the Olympics, retirements and the usual reality TV-show like hijinks.

This is it... The moment of truth... In a couple of short hours, USA Gymnastics will name the 2016 Rio Olympic Team. There are so many questions. Will it be the five athletes that Marta named three weeks ago? Simone, Aly, Gabby, Laurie and Madison? Will Gabby recover from her beam disaster on night one to be the Gabby we all know and love? Most importantly, who will be named the alternates? Will the #Mashton debate will be settled once and for all? Quick recap from night one - Simone is currently leading the pack and is well on her way to getting the lone guaranteed Olympic Team spot.  Coming up on her heels, one Miss Laurie Hernandez. Someone forgot to tell her that she's competing for her place in a team that is akin to getting into an Ivy League university (Although, if we must get specific, more students get into, let's say Stanford than athletes make this team). Laurie is as cool as a cucumber and saunters about the arena as if to say "NBD, just another competit...

Well, one night of trials is over and done with. There is still one more night of intense competition in this pressure cooker. I wish that metaphor were hyperbole, but alas, I kid you not. The pressure is on in San Jose. This is really it, you eff up too badly here, your dreams of Olympic glory end. So who is holding up under the intense scrutiny? Let's take a look and see.

IT'S FINALLY HERE! Tonight is the first night of two nights of competition, the second being held Sunday night.  Marta Karolyi, women's team coordinator is looking at Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian as being the five that go to Rio in a few weeks. But, Maggie Nichols is expected to come back in the all-around tonight. Will she challenge for a plane ticket to Rio? There is also the much hyped showdown of #Mashton - Madison Kocian and Ashton Locklear facing off for the bars and beam spot. Make no mistake, this debate is a heated one. It may even be a bigger debate than Bernie vs Hilary for that coveted Democratic presidential nominee. So which one is the triumphant Hilary and who will be runner up Bernie in this scenario? Refresh the page every few minutes for all the action in San Jose!

The moment four years in the making. Women's Olympic Trials starts tomorrow. Oh yes! The men already had their trials and the team was announced, stirring up a flurry of emotions from all over the gymternet. Sunday's women's team announcement is likely to bring up the same reactions. This afternoon, the ladies were practicing their stuff in podium training. We got a small glimpse of training through USA Gymnastics and the Gods of YouTube. Here are some thoughts - along with some fun videos: