Five Potential Breakout Stars of the 2016 Olympics

With the 2016 Olympic Games less than a week away, all eyes are on the stars of USA Gymnastics; mainly Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and Gabby Douglas. These ladies are household names, appearing on every cereal box, commercial, and magazine cover you could imagine! You don't have to be a gymnastics fan to understand the hype that is surrounding these athletes.

But what about some of the other gymnasts who might be flying under the radar? With a lot of top gymnasts claiming most of the attention from media, it's easy to forget about some of the other truly talented gymnasts we will have the pleasure of watching in the coming weeks. While it is expected that Simone Biles will sweep up most of the gold medals at these Olympics baring anything serious, there are plenty of athletes still in contention for the remaining medals. Here are five athletes who we think have the potential to burst onto the scene and steal some medals...and maybe even your heart! 

Laurie Hernandez | USA

16 year old Laurie Hernandez may be the youngest and most inexperienced member of the US team, but that hasn't stopped her from exemplifying poise and confidence every time she steps out on the floor. This first year senior competes like a veteran! Even when she makes a mistake, Laurie has an uncanny way of covering it up and continuing with the flow of her routine, a trait that certainly helped land her a spot on this team despite the incredible depth of USA Gymnastics. A third place finish at the National Championships and a second place finish at the Olympic Trials proves that Laurie is currently one of the strongest all-arounders in the country. If Laurie is given the chance to compete all four events in qualifications at the Olympics, she could certainty advance to the all-around finals and contend for a medal. Her next best bet for a medal (outside of the team) will come on balance beam, where Laurie is without a doubt one of the best in the world. Her level of consistency day in and day out is almost unrivaled and she has the difficulty to back it up. (6.5 D score) Depending on how the competition plays out that day, Laurie could find herself on the podium! 

Flavia Saraiva | Brazil
Flavia Saraiva may be tiny, but don't let that fool you--she has a big presence out on the competition floor! The 4'4 athlete is a bundle of joy and a natural when it comes to tumbling and the presentation in her dance. Seriously, the home crowd is going to eat her up at these Games. She is the perfect combination of both power and grace and has a natural star quality about her. She has been a fan favorite in the gymternet since her international debut at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games where she placed 2nd all-around, 2nd on beam, and 1st on floor. This year at the Olympic Test Event, she helped team Brazil qualify to the Olympics with a first place finish. She also took home a gold medal on the floor and a silver medal on beam and in the all-around. Born in Rio in September of 1999, Saraiva couldn't have asked for a better Olympics to be eligible for.  Flavia is likely Brazil's best hope for a medal, as she is world class on both the balance beam and floor exercise. Solid performances in qualifications could advance Flavia to those two finals in addition to the all-around final. Regardless of whether Flavia brings home a medal or not, I'm positive she is about to become the darling of the games!



Ellie Downie | Great Britain 
17 year old Ellie Downie is ready to make a splash in her first Olympic appearance. Training alongside her older sister Becky, who is a 2008 Olympian, Ellie likely knows what to expect going into her first games as she saw it firsthand with her sister 8 years ago! However, she is no stranger to the pressure of competing on such a large stage. Ellie helped Great Britain to it's first ever team bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and qualified to compete in two event finals--vault and floor. This year at the European Championships, she placed second with the team and second in the vault and floor finals. Ellie's explosive power allows her on those events and put up routines that rival some of the best in the world. With solid performances, Ellie definitely is in the mix to contend for a medal on either event.



Sanne Wevers | Netherlands
Sanne Wevers is perhaps one of the most unique balance beam workers of the quad. With a 16.4 D score, Sanne's best hope for an Olympic medal will come on this event. where her difficult connections and mind boggling turns leave the crowd in awe practically every time. Sanne is the 2015 National Champion on bars and beam as well as the silver medalist on beam at the 2015 World Championships. To open up the Olympic year with a bang, Sanne won the Olympic Test event with a super impressive beam set, proving that she is a force to be reckoned with on that event. As much as Sanne would love to have some individual success at these games, the main focus for her is improving her ranking with the team after coming off of an historic 8th place finish at last years World Championships! Regardless, I'm sure the fans in Rio will be speechless after her difficult and extremely beautiful beam routine.



Angelina Melnikova | Russia 
It's been a strong start to the 2016 season for 16 year old Angelina Melnikova. This first year senior is the Russian all-around national champion, as well as the balance beam and floor exercise champion. She was also a member of the first place team at the European Championships earlier this year. Melnikova had a pretty steady junior career as well, winning her fair share of all-around and individual event titles at various international competitions. The Russian team has struggled a bit this entire quad with injuries and lack luster performances at some of the bigger international assignments, however, Melnikova could be the breakout star that they are looking for! She really has no weak event, and while it's a long shot that she will bring home an individual medal from these games, the Russian team will rely on her for consistent scores to help bring home a medal in the team competition. This is Angelina's chance to step up and prove that she can be relied on and really make a name for herself.