If there were an Olympic medal for nerves of steel, it would have to go to gymnast Jordyn Wieber. That girl has some serious grit. She'll be counted on to lead the heavily favored U.S. Women's Gymnastic team to gold, which is no small feat. The American women have only done it once, and that was 16 years ago when the Magnificent Seven topped the podium at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Not to mention the women's team competition is as pressure-packed as it gets: There are five gymnasts on each team, and every single score counts. That means there's no room for even the slightest wobble or extra step as Wieber knocks out skills like a full-twisting back flip—on a beam four feet in the air.
But even at just 17 years old, Wieber has proven she can handle the pressure. Last year, in her first season at the senior level, she was the rock of Team USA at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships. Competing on every event—vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise—she earned the team's highest score on three out of the four, helping the U.S. win an unexpected team gold. To top it off, Wieber then went on to win the individual all-around title as well.
Anyone watching her (or any of her incredibly talented teammates) likely comes across a similar thought: How does she get up there, time and time again, with everything on the line, and perform near-flawless routines? Wieber credits an insanely tough training schedule, which usually has her logging about 30 hours a week in the gym. She also has a perhaps innate quality that many athletes vie for: Razor-sharp focus.
"I don't want to get distracted, or worry about anything else going on around me, so I have key words for each routine, and I only think about those exact words," she explains. "I think them at the same time, for the same skill, in every routine, and it gives me confidence." She even uses those phrases—like "tight body" or "strong"—in practice. That way, when it's go-time at a huge competition, she's already trained her brain to focus.
As the new leader for Team USA, Wieber also listens carefully to advice from the older teammates that she has trained with at national team training camps for years—like 2008 Olympians Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone, and Bridget Sloan. "They've told me over and over again to just believe in myself, stay confident, and be aggressive," says Wieber. She especially admires Liukin, who emerged as the 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion (and earned four other medals, as well)—sealing her place in history as only the third American woman to nab that title.
While Wieber simply says, "I want to do my best for the whole duration of the Games," her best could very well put her on par with Liukin's success. Regardless of the hardware she leaves London with, one thing we know for sure: She'll be unshakably focused, right up to the very end.
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