Alexandra RAISMAN

USA

Artistic Gymnastics

Biography

U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman is the owner of six Olympic medals, including three golds, and five World Championships medals.

The Needham, Massachusetts-native, says she fell in love with the sport as she repeatedly watched a VHS tape of the U.S. team at the 1996 Olympic Games win their historic team gold medal.

In 2010, Raisman made her international senior debut including as part of the silver medal-winning squad at the World Championships.

Two years later, as captain, she led her London 2012 ‘Fierce Five’ team, which included Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross, to Team USA’s first Olympic title since the 1996 Games that had served as her inspiration growing up.

Individually, Raisman was the Olympic floor exercise champion – a first for an American woman. She also took bronze on the balance beam and finished fourth in the individual all-around final.

That finish, determined by a tie break with Russia’s Aliya Mustafina, Raisman would later say, spurred her to continue in the sport, targeting a second Olympic Games at Rio 2016.

Redemption in Rio

Following the London Games, Raisman took nearly a year away from training before resuming sessions with long-time coach Mihai Brestyan. She said she focused on building her strength and conditioning for nearly a year before getting back into serious gymnastics training.

Raisman returned to competition in 2015, looking strong and powering her way to a third-place finish at the U.S. Championships. She was later part of Team USA, once again, at the World Championships, helping them to the gold medal at the event in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

But on a personal level, the World Championships were a disappointment for Raisman who failed to advance to any individual final.

In true Raisman fashion, she roared back in the Olympic season a year later, soaring to a second-place finish at the U.S. Championships behind the legendary Simone Biles. Three weeks later, she was third at the U.S. trials behind Biles and Laurie Hernandez. She was headed back to the Games.

In Rio, Raisman was once again the U.S. squad’s team captain as the Americans successfully defended their team title from four years earlier.

The comeback that had been fueled by dreams of an all-around podium finish at the Olympic Games would come full circle as Raisman delivered an emotional, captivating performance on the floor exercise to seal the silver medal behind Biles.

Biles and Raisman also recorded a one-two finish on the floor exercise to cap a three-medal Olympics for the Boston-area hero.

Raisman embraces role of advocate

Following the Rio Games, Raisman came forward to say that she, too, had been a victim of former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse. In the years that followed, Raisman became one of the fiercest advocates to bring change to gymnastics and improve safeguards in the sport, including several appearances before the United States Congress.

She and other survivors of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal were honoured at the 2018 ESPYs.

In 2024, Raisman has taken on several new roles including children’s book author and commentator. She released ‘From My Head to My Toes,’ “a joyful ode to loving and caring for our bodies,” according to publishing MacMillan.

Raisman made her television commentary debut for ESPN, including calling their coverage of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.

Olympic Medals

Games Participations2

First Olympic GamesLondon 2012

Year of Birth1994

Social Media

You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment!