Sports

Needham's Aly Raisman Heading to Rio Olympics

The two-time Olympic gold medalist is going to her second consecutive Olympic games.

San Jose, CA — There will be a second chance at Olympic glory for Needham's Aly Raisman.

Sunday night, the local gymnast qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She joins all-around winner Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Gabrielle Douglas.

Raisman and Douglas are the first repeat Olympic athletes for US Gymnastics since 2000.

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Raisman finished in third place overall, 3.5 points behind Biles who tallied 123.250 points. Hernandez placed second with 121.150 points.

This will be Raisman's second trip to the Olympics. The 22-year-old affectionally nicknamed "Mama Raisman" defied expectations when she announced her intent to qualify for the Rio games.

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Another medal would only add to her decorated career which includes two Olympic gold medals, an Olympic bronze medal, two world championships, and three national championship gold medals.

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