Jewish-American gymnast to compete in Rio games

Jewish-American gymnast Aly Raisman will be part of the US gymnastics team competing in next month’s 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after qualifying at the US Olympic Team Trials.

The 22-year-old Raisman will be joined on the team by Simone Biles, 19; Gabby Douglas, 20; Laurie Hernandez, 16; and Madison Kocian, 19.

“We were joking, I was like, ‘I really am going to live up to my grandma name because I’m going to have a heart attack before they announce the names,'” Raisman said about the excruciating wait before the final team members were announced, the Associated Press reported.

At the 2012 Olympics in London, Raisman won gold medals in the team and floor exercise competitions. Douglas was also on the American team four years ago.

“It’s just amazing because she’s so strong,” Douglas said of Raisman. “To have her just lead this team, we’ve been there, and for us to be back on this road together is just amazing and kind of different because we were on the same team and now we’re on the same team again. It’s just a special bond.”

By: JNS.org