Raisman's steadiness wins her favor with Karolyi

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- There is one sure way to get Martha Karolyi to smile these days.

Ask her about Aly Raisman.

Raisman may not have Jordyn Wieber's glittering resume or Gabby Douglas' star power. But the 18-year-old from Needham, Mass., is as consistent as a metronome, a quality Karolyi values every bit as much as tough tricks and pretty lines. Particularly in an Olympic year.

The team for the London Games won't be announced until July 1, following the Olympic trials in San Jose, Calif. But Raisman, along with Wieber and Douglas, is considered a near-lock. She finished third at the U.S. gymnastics championships Sunday, and won the titles on both balance beam and floor exercise.