‘Hava Nagila’ Gymnast Named to U.S. Olympic Team
18-year-old Jewish gymnast heads to London 2012
Alexandra “Aly” RaismanPic: TwitterJewish American gymnast Alexandra “Aly” Raisman is heading to the
Olympics after landing a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics
team for the 2012 London games earlier this week.
Raisman, 18, finished third at the Olympic trials in San Jose, Calif., to secure her spot on the American Olympic team while posting the highest scores on Beam and Floor.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Gabrielle Douglas upset fellow 16-year-old and World Champion, Jordyn Wieber for the top spot at the trials, as both of them punched their tickets to the Olympics. Wieber and Douglas will join Raisman on the gymnastics roster, on what some say will be the strongest team the Americans have had since 1996.
“I was really, really emotional, way more than I thought I would be,” said Raisman after being named to the Olympic squad. “I thought I would maybe tear up a little bit but I didn’t think I’d hyperventilate like that. I couldn’t even breathe. It was such a special moment and I’m so honoured and so excited.”
Born in Needham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, Raisman was part of the 2010 U.S. World Championships team that won the silver medal in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
She is best known for performing a routine choreographed to “Hava Nagila” at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, for which she won a bronze medal on the floor exercise.
That same year, she was the captain of the U.S. gold medal-winning squad at the World Championships.
Raisman has previously indicated that if she were to qualify for the 2012 games, she would perform to the Hasidic tune again, but this time, on the world’s biggest stage.
In 2011, she told the JTA that she is proud to use the Jewish song “because there aren’t too many Jewish elites out there,” adding that she liked “how the crowd can clap to it.”
Raisman is a former recipient of the Pearl D. Mazor Outstanding Female Jewish High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award given out by the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in New York.
Enjoy as Raisman performs her routine to the tune of "Hava Nagila"
To follow Aly Raisman on Twitter, click here.
The rock singer’s company, Kravitz Design, takes on their first TV project
Over the past couple weeks, the 27-year-old's behavior has become increasingly erratic.
The ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actress is a mom “just like everyone else out there”
Israel may be the startup nation, excelling in almost every field in the high tech industry, but there is one field in Israel has yet to conquer– heavy-duty gaming.
On the other side of the world from Israel, and south of the equator, is one of the most populated, active, and conscious communities outside the Jewish state.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ star joins Ben Whishaw and Christoph Waltz
The rock singer’s company, Kravitz Design, takes on their first TV project
Over the past couple weeks, the 27-year-old's behavior has become increasingly erratic.
The ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actress is a mom “just like everyone else out there”
On the other side of the world from Israel, and south of the equator, is one of the most populated, active, and conscious communities outside the Jewish state.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ star joins Ben Whishaw and Christoph Waltz
The ‘Source Code’ actor presents Jeff Bridges with an award at Spike TV Guys Choice Awards
The 19 year old sophomore sat on the exam table looking at the floor. A college student with obvious charm
In 1971, researchers set up a prison in the basement of Stanford University's Psychology Department. The idea was to
As I have tried to make abundantly clear the United States is the only country in the industrialized world that
Alright, that does it.Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans have been willing to do their part for
A study appeared in a journal titled “Obesity” which was reported by a group from the University of Colorado. In
Sixty-five years ago today, World War II officially came to an end. On September 2, 1945, Japanese Foreign Minister
Share This Story With Your Friends!
Friend's Name:
Friend's E-Mail:
(This information will not be displayed publicly)
Optional Message:
