The Highlights of London 2012

It's hard to believe that artistic gymnastics is over! It was, as Olympic gymnastics always is, a crazy competition, with plenty of highs and lows. Here are my top four highlights from the women's meet:

• The American women. Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross...Olympic champs. And it was so well-deserved. They were the best of the field from start to finish, and were the most mentally tough team out there as well. (Watch the women's team final.)
• Jordyn Wieber. I know, she's obviously one of the American women, but she deserves a shout-out on her own. Her Olympics started and ended in disappointment, and yet she handled herself with a class and dignity that was not afforded to her by NBC and most media coverage. This 17-year-old has some serious poise, and is, lest we forget, a world and Olympic champion. I hope she stays in the sport, because she'd be a great leader for the US in the next Olympic cycle.
• Aliya Mustafina. The 2010 world champ had a devastating injury just a little over a year ago, but fought her way back to become a huge force in London. Mustafina earned bronze medals in the all-around and floor, silver with the Russian team, and the gold medal on bars. Though NBC likes to depict her as a diva, it was also hard to miss her comforting her teammates throughout the Games, and congratulating other competitors. If being a diva means rocking unique and hard routines, winning four medals, and supporting your teammates, then yes, I guess that describes her well. (Watch Mustafina in the bars final)
• Beth Tweddle. Tweddle is a perennial bar finalist, and a multiple world and European medalist, but somehow an Olympic medal has always eluded her. Year after year she comes up with new routines, each more jaw-dropping than the last. At 27, this is most likely her last Games, and she won her bronze medal on bars in front of the home crowd. (Watch Beth Tweddle on bars.)