8/14/2012
By Ivan Pereira
Forget Disney World, the “Fierce Five” celebrated their gold medal gymnastics victory Tuesday in the Big Apple.
Greeted by cheering New Yorkers, the teenage members of the women’s gymnastics team spent the day in the city hitting one event after another with their gold medals proudly on display. Aly Raisman, 18, Gabby Douglas, 16, McKayla Maroney, 16, Jordyn Wieber, 17, and Kyla Ross 15, said they couldn’t contain their excitement while touring Manhattan and hearing the adulation from their new fans.
“We’re really taking it in,” said Raisman, the team captain. “Not too many 13 to 16-year-olds have this much fun.”
The girls started their day on NBC’s “Today” show where they helped Al Roker with his weather report. Although they were the featured guest on the show, the girls were star struck when they met singerNicki Minaj.
The team later headed over to the Empire State Building where they lit the top of the building red, white and blue in honor of all the American Olympians.
“It’s already 11:30 and we’ve done so many great things,” Raisman said after the Olympic stars took some photos of themselves admiring the view from the building’s observation deck.
Douglas, the first black American gymnast to win the gold meal in the all-around gymnastics event, said she is humbled by all of the responses she gets from youngsters who told her they were moved by her performances.
“Young girls look to me and say, ‘If she can do it, I want do it, and everything’s possible’ and it feels great,” she said.
The girls later made their way to the New York Stock Exchange and were set for a taping on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
McKayla poked fun at her medal celebration that has become an Internet sensation.
The gymnast said she was not upset over the Tumblr meme of the scowl she made when she won the silver and laughs it off.
“In my head, I was disappointed that I fell on my butt in the Olympics,” she said.
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Meet the team
The teens of the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastic team captivated the world with their acrobatics in London. Here’s what the members of the “Fierce Five” accomplished during their run.
Aly Raisman, the team’s captain, is the eldest member of the team at 18. Hailing from Needham, Mass. She won the team gold medal, the gold in floor exercise and bronze in the balance beam.
Gabby Douglas, 16, of West Des Moines, Iowa, took home the gold in the team and all-around events. The energetic gymnast said she doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.
McKayla Maroney, 16, of Laguna Niguel, Calif. has been performing gymnastics for years and won the 2011 vault championship. She earned a silver medal for the same competition after she slipped and fell.
Jordyn Wieber, 17, of Dewitt, Mich, did not win any individual medals during the Olympics but has won several big gymnastic events. Most recently, she won the gold for the all-around in the America Cup.
Kyla Ross is the youngest member of the team, at 15. Hailing from Aliso Viejo, Calif., she also did not win any individual medals at the Olympics but said she was proud to contribute to the team.
