Gabby Douglas, the iconic gymnast who made history as the 2012 Olympic all-around champion, has recently faced a significant setback in her quest for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 28-year-old gymnast was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Gymnastics Championships due to an ankle injury, which dashed her hopes of competing in the upcoming Games. However, Douglas remains optimistic and is now setting her sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“It’s a dream years in the making,” Douglas tells PEOPLE exclusively, reflecting on her future aspirations. “I know it's four years away, but I'm looking forward to it. Still representing the USA, still continuing to do gymnastics, so I'm excited.”
Douglas, who made history as the first Black gymnast to win the all-around gold in London 2012, was also part of the "Final Five" team that secured team gold in Rio 2016. Her journey to Paris seemed promising until a late-May ankle injury during training prevented her from qualifying for the U.
S. Olympic Trials. “It was very bittersweet,” she shares. “And it was actually doing my signature skill, which is the standing full on the beam.”
The injury occurred just before the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, which were Douglas’s last opportunity to earn a spot in the Olympic Trials. Her withdrawal from the competition effectively ended her bid for Paris, but her love for gymnastics remains undiminished.
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