Whirlwind awaits Douglas, gymnastics' newest queen

By NANCY ARMOUR

The Associated Press

LONDON — 

Too excited to sleep and too early to wander the Olympic village, Gabby Douglas messaged her family and asked if they could have a video chat.

When her mom turned on the computer, there sat her daughter, eyes wide, hands on her cheeks, mouth agape.

"It reminded me of Macaulay Culkin in 'Home Alone,'" said Natalie Hawkins, Douglas' mother.

And this was before the 16-year-old Olympic all-around champion got her own cereal box cover, hobnobbed with Matt, Al and others at NBC's "Today" show, and had tweet-happy celebrities eager to be her new BFFs.

"It's pretty exciting," Douglas said Friday. "It really hasn't hit me yet."

Apparently not. She forgot to bring her gold medal with her for the rounds of meet and greet.

Hang on, kid, this is only the warm-up.

The Olympic all-around title is gymnastics' biggest prize, and it can turn a sprite into an international superstar overnight. The world is still on a first-name basis with Nadia and Mary Lou, and Gabby could wind up being bigger than both of them.