Saturday, October 13th, 2012...5:08 am

FINAL: Fab 5

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The Olympic “Fab 5”: How they Changed Gymnastics

            The Fab Five succeeded in inspiring a new generation. When July 27th, 2012 rolled around, we all knew that the 30th Summer Olympics would captivate the world. Going in with high hopes, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, Mckayla Maroney, and Kyla Ross were expected to do great. And they did just that.

Leslie Pfeifer, a sophomore here at Morningside College, was a gymnast until the age of fifteen. She said that the “’Fab 5’ were awesome. It was just so cool that they were so young and successful.” She recalls from when she was a gymnast that to be as successful as them is extremely difficult. “It’s crazy how they are so focused for that many years on one thing just to say that they are an Olympian.”

A junior here at Morningside, Colleen Murray was also a former gymnast back in Rochester, Minnesota. Talking about the Olympics, “I didn’t miss a single (gymnastics) event. If I didn’t see it during the original airtime I would make sure that I had it DVRed so I could watch it later. It was truly amazing.” She says, “I remember when I was younger my dream was to be an Olympian in gymnastics but I really just didn’t have time for it anymore. With school, homework, and gymnastics… I just couldn’t do it.”

Gabby Douglas in particular, has changed the face of gymnastics for forever. She was the first African American gymnast to win the All-Around title, which is obviously a huge accomplishment. She has shown that color doesn’t matter when it comes to the Olympic games. Pfeifer says, “It is crazy that she won at just sixteen. I was really impressed and happy for her.” Murray said, “I was so jealous of her. She was absolutely flawless and she had so much energy. She was phenomenal.”

When speaking with Pfeifer, the topic of Jordyn Weiber and her meltdown was brought up. In the finals to get into the All-Around finals Weiber was beaten by Aly Raisman to take the number two spot to compete. At the end of the night, Weiber was hysterically crying and being very standoffish. “I expected it just because of her age, (17). She should have kept herself under control. It kind of made me think that she was trying to get media attention,” Pfiefer says. Murray said, “I agree with what Leslie said, but also, I think it is a good lesson for girls.” Going off of what Murray was saying, young girls or anyone for that matter could learn a valuable lesson from Weiber’s breakdown. They may learn that you should always be grateful of the opportunities that you work for and that are given to you. They could also learn that you should probably hold your tears in if you don’t want the whole world see you cry.

And of course, we have to bring up the Mckayla Maroney faces. Murray still laughs every time she sees something about it. “I understand where she is coming from, I mean to perform a perfect vault routine and then to get the silver? I would be making the same face too just because I would be frustrated with myself.”

In the end, the “Fab 5” earned five metals, three gold, one silver, and one bronze. They are still impacting the world even after the Olympics. Recently the girls were in commercials to end texting and driving which is a serious matter in the United States. They are now finishing up their Kellogg’s Tour and more than likely having a great time with it. Murray said, “I think this group of girls will be one of the most memorable gymnastics team in Olympics history.”



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