U.S. Women's Gymnastics, Surprise result in U.S. women's gymnastics. Jordyn Wieber, the defending all-around world champion, finds herself in a tight battle.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Jordyn Wieber's Olympics came crashing down around her. Back in the locker room, her coach, John Geddert found her in a heap of devastation, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The reigning all-around world champion failed to qualify for the Olympic all-around finals, a stunning result in a sport she had come to dominate.

 This is what she had dreamed of all those years, all those practices, all those sacrifices. This is what she had worked toward, to finish in a crescendo of accomplishment here in London, to win all-around gold like the legends.

Instead, she was beaten by two of her countrymen – Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas – and done in by a rule that limits each nation to just two finalists.

 A couple of small penalties here, a few less-than-perfect moves there and she wound up fourth overall but third among the Americans, trailing Douglas by just .233, on the outside looking crushed.

When the final results were flashed on the scoreboard at North Greenwich Arena, the 17-year-old from Michigan’s face turned to stone. 

She dropped her head, slipped a backpack on and walked out of the gymnastics hall without managing a wave to the crowd like her teammates. She blew through the media mixed zone without a comment, wiping her eyes.

It was only worse back in the locker room.

"What did she say to you?" Geddert was asked. "She hasn't said a word," he said. "She doesn't talk. She'll get into her little shell and it'll be a while until she comes out."

Later, USA Gymnastics released a statement from Wieber saying: "It is a bit of a disappointment. It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the all-around final of the Olympics but I’m proud of Aly and Gabby."

It was a classy comment. It didn't begin to relay the pain that was clear on her face. This wasn't a bit of a disappointment. 

This was full-blown disappointment and there is no shame in that. Wieber can still win gold medals here, in the team final and in the floor exercise, but the all-around title is the all-around title. It's the crowning achievement she came to seize.

This here was the heartbreak of the Olympics, only with a twist. It was Raisman, out of suburban Boston, that surprisingly took her place. Not someone from another country, but her roommate in the Olympic Village, her close friend and still a teammate.

A real teammate, too. On Tuesday, Wieber has to regroup to compete right alongside Douglas, Raisman and the other for team gold.

The pain is real. There just isn't time for it.

"I'm definitely worried," said Martha Karolyi, the U.S. team director. "I'm definitely worried. You try to find words that you can say because it is very hard. It’s almost like somebody passes away. You have to have her try to deal with it but the effect is the same."

For Raisman, the qualification was nearly as much of a shock. She came into these games one of the forgotten teammates. All the pre-Olympic publicity centered on the top two Americans, Wieber and Douglas and their contrasting styles. Everyone thought they’d compete for all-around gold and the others would fill in around them in team competition or an individual event.

For everyone paying attention, the path was clear for Raisman as she stepped out for her floor exercise as the meet's final competitor in the midst of her best day ever. Raisman said she wasn't paying attention, though. She said she had no idea about qualifying for the all-around because she was focused on scoring well enough in the floor to have a chance at medaling in that.

"I was just worried about floor finals," she said.

Wieber, however, was paying attention. She knew what was at stake.

"It was hard because of course I wanted that spot," Wieber said in the statement. "But I also wanted Aly to do her best for the team."

via Yahoo