Gabby Douglas’s road to the 2024 Paris Olympics has come to an end. On Wednesday, the three-time Olympic champion withdrew from the upcoming U.S. gymnastics championships, citing an ankle injury.
“I love this sport and I love pushing my limits,” Douglas, 28, told ESPN. “I hope I can inspire both my peers and the next generation of gymnasts that age is just a number, and you can accomplish anything you work hard for.”
Douglas made history at the 2012 London Olympics when she became the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around. She earned a team gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but faced intense online scrutiny and bullying. While she didn’t make a run for the 2020 Olympics, she announced in February that she would be returning to competition and hoped to make the Paris Olympic team.
Earlier this month, she competed in the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut — her first elite-level competition since 2016. After struggling on the uneven bars, she withdrew from the event. “I honestly didn’t do the best that I wanted,” she said afterward. “But I have to give myself a little grace because it’s been so long.” Douglas was supposed to compete in three events at the national championships this weekend: vault, balance beam, and uneven bars. If she had qualified for the Olympics, she would have been the oldest American woman to compete in the sport during the Games since 1952, per ESPN.
Douglas might not be on Team USA this summer, but she is already eyeing the 2028 Olympics, telling ESPN, “I’ve proved to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at an elite level. My plan is to continue to train for the L.A. 2028 Olympics. It would be such an honor to represent the U.S. at a home Olympics.”