16-year-old Gabby Douglas was under a lot of pressure at Sunday night's women's gymnastics Olympic Trials. She saluted the judges, and 90 seconds later, she soared through the air in a dizzying flurry of flips: a double-twisting layout, a double Arabian tuck and a twisting double back tuck. When she landed, she had done it -- she had won the Olympic Trials and made her childhood dreams come true.
After two days of intense competition, Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross were also named to the team. The U.S. women's team is historically one of the best in the world -- American sweethearts Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin won gold in 2004 and 2008, respectively -- and hopes are high for 2012.
The selection process for the Olympics changed this year. During previous Trials, the top gymnast would automatically gain entry to the Olympics, while the other competitors had to fight for the remaining spots during training camp. This year, the highest-scoring gymnast (Gabby Douglas, by one-tenth of a point) still clinched a ticket to the Olympics, but the remaining four spots were decided by a selection committee. Sarah Finnegan, Elizabeth Price and Anna Li were also named to the Olympic Team as alternates.
After the team was announced, they gymnasts burst into tears and hugged each other under a burst of confetti and balloons. McKayla Maroney tweeted a photo from her elementary school yearbook, where her picture is accompanied by the quote, "My goal for the future is to be in the Olympics."
In case you missed it, we rounded up the best routines from each of the five future Olympians. Check out their jaw-dropping moves in the slideshow below.
What's your favorite sport to watch during the Olympics? Which of these five girls are you rooting for? Sound off in the comments below or tweet us at @HuffPostTeen!
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