Sarah Robinson, CTVOlympics.ca Staff
Three years ago, American Gabrielle Douglas was an anonymous gymnast moving away from her family, hoping to improve her skill level.
Today, she solidified her place in history as the first African-American woman to win an Olympic all-around title at the London 2012 Olympic Games, shattering records in the process.
"It just feels amazing," said Douglas. "All the hard work and dedication pays off."
It is the first time a country has won the all-around title in three consecutive Olympic Games in more than 50 years, and the first time an American has won both the team and all-around gold at a single Games.
"And the smile that can light up a stadium has lit up the nation," said CTVOlympics gymnastics analyst Kyle Shewfelt. "She's going to be on the cover of every single magazine tomorrow and she is so deserving."
Victoria Komova of Russia won the silver medal, while Aliya Mustafinaof Russia won bronze.
"I really wanted to achieve gold, but unfortunately I didn't manage it," said Komova. "The mood is really that of disappointment."
It was a head-to-head race between the Americans and Russians from the beginning. Then in the third rotation, Mustafina fell off the balance beam, seemingly putting her out of contention for a medal.
But after nailing her floor routine in the final rotation, Mustafina tumbled back into the game.
Mustafina and Alexandra Raisman of the United States were tied for the bronze medal position in their overall scores, but Mustafina's higher execution score won her the tie-breaker.
"I'm trying to be positive about it," Raisman said of her missed medal. "I feel sad because I was so close to getting a medal, but I'm still fourth in the world so I'm really proud about that.
"I'm really proud of Gabby, she did an amazing job today."
It was a hard-earned victory for all three gymnasts that stood on the podium, each of whom is no stranger to sacrifice in their journey to the Games.
At just 14 years old, Douglas left her home and family in Virginia Beach, VA behind to train with elite gymnastics coach Liang Chow in West Des Moines, IA.
Chow's reputation preceded him. He has coached numerous elite gymnasts, including Beijing 2008 all-around silver medallist Shawn Johnson.
Though it meant disrupting her personal life, Douglas excelled under Chow's instruction. She beat the reigning World Champion, Jordyn Wieber, at US Olympic Trials to snag the automatic first spot on the American Olympic team.
Wieber may have been the favourite heading into London 2012, but all eyes were on Douglas, to see if she could top her once more.
Douglas delivered.
Mustafina, who is usually a steel-faced competitor, could not help but grin on the podium as her bronze medal was presented to her.
Just a few short months ago, her victory looked like an impossibility after she sunk the Russian team at European Championships, still not fully recovered from an ACL tear last year.
But Mustafina's loss was Komova's gain. Having been overshadowed by Mustafina for most of her career - especially after the 2010 World Championships, when Mustafina won the all-around title and was heralded as the next Svetlana Khorkina - Komova was more than ready to step in to her shoes.
Komova flourished in Mustafina's fall from dominance, emerging as a strong contender for the all-around gold in podium training when she showcased upgraded difficulty on almost all of her apparatus routines.
But in the end, she could not match Douglas's difficulty, leaving the floor in tears as the final standings were announced at the end of the last rotation.
Dominique Pegg of Canada finished 17th in the final, delivering solid performances on all of her apparatuses with her parents and teammates looking on in the stands.
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