YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Fourth-Place Medal

    Battle of ‘The Flying Squirrels’: Who deserves the nickname?

    (Getty)As nicknames go, the Flying Squirrel is both out-of-the-ordinary and awesome. In the pantheon of nicknames, it belongs next to Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown and Dick "Night Train" Lane. The only problem? It is used by two American Olympians. Who should be the true Flying Squirrel of London?

    Name: Gabrielle Douglas
    Height: 4-foot-11, tying her for the shortest American Olympian
    Age: 16
    Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va., but trains in Des Moines, Iowa
    Sport: Gymnastics
    How she earned the name: Douglas is known for her high-flying moves, particularly on uneven bars. U.S. women's gymnastics team coordinator Marta Karolyi called Douglas "The Flying Squirrel" because of how she flies.
    Her claim on the name: After Olympic trials, Douglas was handed a plush flying squirrel from a fan and proudly displayed it during interviews.

    Name: Ellis Coleman
    Height: 5-foot-9
    Age: 20, making him the youngest member of the U.S. wrestling team
    Hometown: Oak Park, Ill.
    Sport: Greco-Roman wrestling
    How he earned the name: While competing at the junior world championships, Coleman performed "The Flying Squirrel." Check it out:

    It has become his signature move.
    His claim on the name: Coleman's Twitter handle is @DaFlyingSquirrel.

    Who is the better Flying Squirrel? Tell in the comments.

    Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
    Sugar Ray Leonard looks back on greatest boxing win

    Gallery: Great Olympic scandals of the past

    Yahoo! Sports goes behind the scenes at the Olympics

    Yahoo! Sports Authors

    Olympic, Olympiad, the Olympic rings, Faster Higher Stronger, Citius Altius Fortius and related marks are owned by the International Olympics Committee, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, or their related entities. This site is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with any of these entities.