Needham native Aly Raisman qualified for her second-straight Olympic Games Sunday night after a strong performance in the San Jose Olympic trials.
Raisman is headed to Rio, along with Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian and Lauren Hernandez.
She shined at the London Games, and is now going for gold in Rio.
“Right now I feel I am a better gymnast then I was in 2012,” Raisman said.
Even though she is only 22, Raisman is now the oldest American gymnast to compete on an Olympic team in 12 years.
“Well you know, people do, um, obsess about the age of 22,” she said. “Which I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and I think that, you know right now I do feel like I am, you know, in the best shape of my life.”
Raisman and Gabby Douglas were the only two members of the “Fierce Five” that attempted to compete in back-to-back Olympics, something that rarely happens in the sport.
Raisman told 7News she made the decision to return after taking a year off.
“I decided to come back to gymnastics just because I felt like I wasn’t done,” Raisman said. “I think it’s really important to go with your gut.”
With her coach Mihai Brestyan by her side, she’s aiming for the podium once again.
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