The key to victory for the U.S. women's gymnastics team lies with its vault, the Amanar, a 2.5 Yurchenko - Grantland

The key to victory for the U.S. women's gymnastics team lies with its vault, the Amanar, a 2.5 Yurchenko - Grantland: What she's doing is one of the most exciting things in gymnastics. When Maroney vaults, coaches and gymnasts from around the world — coaches and gymnasts who've pretty much seen it all — stop to watch. During the team final at the 2011 world championships in Tokyo last fall, where the U.S. hit three Amanars in a row to build a huge lead over the Russians and never looked back, Maroney's 2.5 was the highlight. After she won the 2011 world vault event final (where two different vaults are required instead of only one; Maroney's second vault is nearly as gorgeous as her Amanar), she was considered a lock for the gold on vault at the Olympics — if she could make the team. The Americans are that deep. Their biggest competitors, as a rule, are each other.