The Olympics are in full swing, and the women's gymnastics team individual all-around final is today! This year's "Final Five," Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman dominated the team final on Tuesday. It's something I've come to expect in recent years, with powerhouse gymnasts like Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, and Carly Patterson all bringing home gold for the USA. And, of course, Simone Biles, who's being called the greatest gymnast ever.
I'm in awe of how talented, strong, and determined all of these women are. They're following in the footsteps of the 1996 "Magnificent Seven," the first US Women's Gymnastics Team to bring home the gold in Atlanta. I vividly remember watching them, and what a huge deal their win was. For the 20th anniversary of that win, the Today show caught up with the Magnificent Seven. I'm fascinated by how elite athletes reshape their lives after their athletic careers are over. (1992 team member Kim Zmescal is at the games as the coach of an alternate, and Nastia Liukin has been commentating for NBC.)
Click on over to the the Today show site to hear the Magnificent Seven reminisce about the 1996 Games and talk about their lives today.
The "Magnificent Seven" US Women's Gymnastics team at the 1996 summer games. From left, Kerry Strug, Jaycie Phelps, Dominique Moceanu, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Amy Chow, and Amanda Borden (Image via NBC)
