Verbesserungsvorschläge » States.Carmen Pruneda, of San Antonio,

As a young gymnast growing up in Oklahoma in the 1980s, I had one idol: Mary Lou Retton, who vaulted her way to victory at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Mary Lou was peppy, compact and full of explosive power. As a gymnast I was nothing like her. All the same, I was determined to carry on her legacy: to go out and achieve excellence at every single competition, no matter what the circumstances.Mary Lous accomplishments followed me and my future Olympic teammates to dream throughout our childhoods, and they accompanied us as we marched into the Georgia Dome for our own Olympic moment when we won gold in July of 1996.Fast forward 20 years, and the Final Five -- Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez -- are the undisputed queens of gymnastics. You cant really compare the victories: My teammates and I won Olympic gold by eight-tenths of a point in a close duel with the Russians. The Final Five stormed the Rio Olympic Arena and landed eight whole points above the nearest competition (still Russia). They are that good.No one word does this team justice, but when I think about it I keep coming back to the word strong. All gymnasts are physically strong, and behind every flawless routine is half a lifetime of work. But the mental strength displayed by these five young women surpasses age, natural talent, and even the assurance that springs from outstanding past results.It was an open secret that the American women were going to win the team gold medal in Rio, barring a stranger-than-fiction catastrophe. It was so clear they were the best that they didnt even need to do everything they were capable of to lock down that medal. They could have chosen to simplify their routines. To play it safe. To protect the gold. They could have accepted winning by seven points, or six, or five -- and it still would have been glorious.But they refused to go easy. They gave everything they had, performing to the maximum of their abilities. And they executed flawlessly, turning in the most dominant performance of any womens gymnastics team ever.We say its easier to be the hunter than the hunted. I always felt it was simpler to be the underdog, because when there are no expectations, whatever you do is going to be great. But when youre the team thats supposed to win -- when youve been splashed across the media and everyone is saying that you cant possibly lose this -- it can throw you off balance. What I love about the Final Five is that each of these young women was actually able to thrive on that pressure. They understood that they were walking in as the best and they were determined to maintain that. To be able to cross the finish line, to fight for every tenth of a point as though everything were riding on it, is as hard as most of the gymnastics they did so well in Rio.What better example could be set for all the little girls who were glued to their TV or computer screens watching them this summer? What more could we ask for in role models for our daughters, the next generation of Simones, Alys, Gabbys, Madisons and Lauries?More on the Final Five? They are the greatest! U.S. are best womens gymnastics team ever?Story ?? Simone Biles and Final Five meet Zac Efron?Story ?? The Final Five gymnasts play Hungry Hungry Humans with Jimmy Fallon?Story ?? 9 stunning photos of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team?Photo gallery ?The IMPACT25 is espnWs annual list of the 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest difference for women in sports. Explore the 2016 list and more content at espnW.com/IMPACT25. 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Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Will Rodriguez put his collectible cup down just for a second, then -- swoosh! -- it was swiped.He owned one of the hottest souvenirs of the Rio de Janeiro Games: A plastic Olympic gymnastics beer cup.That was a good one, Rodriguez, of Dallas, lamented.Yes, the Olympics has yet another cupping craze, though this one involves the swirling orange, blue and green color patterns on a yellow cup that include the name and silhouette for more than two dozen sports.The most common sight at Olympic venues arent medals draped around necks, but fans walking around with arms full, fixated on finding the next beer stand and hoarding empty cups.Beer here!Sure, but fans are chugging -- and sometimes just dumping -- their half liters (about 17 ounces) of Skol lager simply for the empty cups. Then its back in line to put another 13 Brazilian reals (about $4) on the growing beer tab. That totals at least 300 reals for the set.The cups are suddenly fueling the merchandise machine and have been traded, sold, and yes, even stolen, as fans clamor for hard-to-find sports such as gymnastics and soccer this deep into the Olympics.About an hour before boxings Sunday evening session started, fans lined up 25 deep at some cerveja stands ready to go another round.The long lines werent necessarily because of slow pours from the can into the cup. Once at the front of the line, fans would shake through stacks of cups until they found the one sport they wanted.Boxe! Boxe! Boxe! one fan shouted in Portuguese in his search for boxing.No! No! the server shouted, as he pointed to one of the other stands at Rio Centro.So off the man went, without a beer, with a more pressing mission on tap for the night.Trampoline, tennis, equestrian, taekwondo and water polo were the most common cups found Sunday at the complex thats home to boxing, table tennis, badminton and weightlifting.Brazilian native Sergio De Oliveira, now of Hoboken, New Jersey, wore his Team USA hat and shirt and gripped his equestrian (hipiismo) cup.ddddddddddddDe Oliveira and husband Terry Miles are trying to collect the cups of all 14 events theyve seen at the Olympics.De Oliveira had no idea that when he bought a gymnastics cup at the opening ceremony, the hunk of plastic would soon spark a memorabilia frenzy.It was huge we got it all, Miles said.Miles doesnt drink, leaving all the beer guzzling to De Oliveira.They have about 10 cups so far, but had yet to find their No. 1 target -- archery. They also wanted synchronized diving.But dont expect the couple to auction the cups on eBay to recoup the 130 reals and counting theyve spent on their collectibles. They are keeping most of them and will share a few with friends back in the United States.Carmen Pruneda, of San Antonio, Texas, had no interest in sipping any light blonde lager.Im looking for cups, but I dont drink beer, she said.Pruneda has traded pins for cups, and cups for pins. She hit a bit of good luck when a woman dropped a cup on an escalator. The woman asked Pruneda if she was a collector. When she said yes, the stranger gave her both of her cups, boosting Prunedas total to six.One beer server said it was forbidden to just buy a cup.The trinkets are a steal compared to other Olympic merchandise. Olympic hats are going for about 60 reals, T-shirts for 80 to 100 and keychains are 35. One man bought a beach towel at the souvenir stand -- a soft landing spot for the three cups he then stuffed inside his shopping bag.Come to think of it, those purple circles dotting Michael Phelps shoulder and back from his cupping therapy do look like coasters.Maybe he wouldnt mind serving as a true arm rest for the cups at the next Olympic bash.While stuffed trash bags and overflowing bins of Skol aluminum beer cans are a sore sight at the games, theres not a plastic cup around to recycle.It has been a good way to keep litter down, Rodriguez said. ' ' '