Her Dreams are as big as Tokyo Olympics - Laurie Hernandez

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Laurie Hernandez, The two times Olympic Champion, has been nothing short of a enchantment in her Olympic first appearance. She just turned 16 and the youngest member of her team. The Olympics is one of her major international competitions and she is known for her fantastic performance on floor. She's determined, Lively, energetic supportive of her teammates... the list goes on. But perhaps most impressive is how, in her first big international competition, she rose strong to the occasion. She has taken to the big stage and looks very comfortable in it.

Hernandez helped the "Final Five" to win team gold, contributing largely on Vault, Beam and Floor during the team finals and closed out her run at the Games with an individual silver medal on beam. Just a tenth away from gold, she told ESPN how proud she is of her performance.

To get my own little medal is big. I mean, it's the Olympics. Any color medal is amazing. 

With an Olympic gold and silver medal to her name, Hernandez still has Olympic-sized goals for the future. Tokyo is undoubtedly on her mind as she heads home from Rio and back into her New Jersey gym for training.

I've been to Tokyo-slash-Japan -- we actually went to Yokohama in 2015 and 2013 for international competitions. I think that it would be really nice to go back and do a little Olympic thing there. 

For Hernandez and the up-and-coming elite stars, the future is bright. The U.S. system can be thanked for that, along with their years of hard work. While the senior elites are generally the ones in the spotlight, winning medals at big competitions and making names for themselves, the juniors and younger seniors on the brink of stardom continue toward success. The pool of athletes in the mix for Tokyo 2020 is already incredibly impressive, and Rio 2016 hasn't even concluded.

Most counties already have impressive hopefuls for the next Olympics. There are a lot of talented new seniors and current junior sand Tokyo looks competitive and the USA are sure to compete. She should be one of the fan’s favorite for medals at 2020 Olympics. At 16, Hernandez has officially made her breakthrough on the world stage. And, after yesterday's competition, she is ready for more. Hernandez will be a key leader on the U.S. National Team in the next few years--she recently decided to go pro and forego her NCAA eligibility to continue her elite career.


Hernandez and Olympic alternate Ragan Smith , will lead the way toward worlds 2017. Other big names include team mate Jazym Foberg, Jordan Smith and Norah Flately (if she stays Elite). Simone Biles is expected to return as she is still young and energetic with much to offer herself and country

She [Hernandez] would have all the chance to come back next year at individual Worlds and do some more good impact... And also Ragan Smith, who was one of the alternates to our team. She is just barely 16, so we already leave (home) some athletes who have world class.