Charismatic gymnastic superstars Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas will be spearheading the USA's defence of Olympic team gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games next month.

Chosen on Sunday (10 July) after two intense nights of competition at the USA Olympic team trials in San José, California, the team is led by three-time all-around world champion Biles. The 19-year-old is already the most decorated American gymnast ever and will look to cement her place in history on her Olympic debut in Rio.

At the trials Biles won the all-around competition, earning the sole automatic qualification spot, and came out on top in the floor exercise and vault. She finished fourth on balance beam and tied for fourth on uneven bars. She nailed a near-perfect vault at the competition.

Since making her senior debut in 2013, Biles has won 14 world championship medals (10 golds) and has been patiently waiting to make her mark at the Olympic Games. In Rio, she will be targetting five gold medals – team, all-around, balance beam, floor and vault. A samba-influenced floor routine is sure to endear her to the Brazilian crowds on her quest for glory.

Her great rival and friend, 20-year-old Gabby Douglas, is no stranger to the Olympic Games. Douglas made history at London 2012 when she became the first USA gymnast to win both team and all-around gold medals. She is also the first black gymnast to win an individual Olympic gold medal. In making the 2016 team, she is the first Olympic all-around champion to return to the next Games since Nadia Comaneci did so at Moscow 1980. In 2015, she won all-around silver at the world championships.

"I feel like through my whole career I’ve had to fight for everything," she said after making the team on Sunday. "I’m used to it by now but at the same time it's like, 'Let’s do it and let’s keep fighting.' That’s me and my demeanour."

Like Douglas, Aly Raisman is returning to the Olympic team after winning both team and individual golds at London 2012. At 22 years old, Raisman is the veteran of the side. In London she won Olympic gold on floor exercise and bronze on balance beam, as well as the team gold. 

Joining them on the team is this year's breakthrough star Laurie Hernandez. The 16-year-old finished second to Biles at the trials, in addition to winning balance beam. She also finished third on on floor, fourth on vault and seventh on uneven bars.

Rio will be her first major senior international competition. "This next month is going to be really hard. It’s not sugar-coated at all; I’m ready for all the training and everything," a delighted Hernandez said after her selection. "We have tomorrow off, then it’s back in the gym. There’s so many things that I want to go back and fix. I can’t wait."

Madison Kocian, who last year won the world title on the uneven bars, has also been picked for Rio. The three replacement athletes are Ashton Locklear, MyKayla Skinner and Ragan Smith.

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