Gabby Douglas out of U.S. Championships, ending Paris 2024 Olympic bid
Gabby Douglas has withdrawn from the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, citing an ankle injury sustained this week during training, according to ESPN.
Her bid for Paris 2024 is over, but she says she will recover and pursue LA 2028.
“I proved to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at an elite level,” Douglas told ESPN. “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.”
Douglas will be 32 in 2028. If she made the team, she would likely become the oldest American woman to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics since 1952.
In April, Douglas qualified to U.S. Championships on vault, bars, and beam at the American Classic, barely missing out on the all-around qualifying score after falls on bars and floor. She made a brief appearance at the Core Hydration Classic (formerly the U.S. Classic) in mid-May; she withdrew after falling twice on bars in the opening rotation.
At this point in the season, with a month until the Olympic Team will be named and less than two months until the Paris Games officially open, Douglas’ bid was a long shot, especially with such a deep field of contenders for the U.S. women’s squad. Still, she showed glimpses of the greatness that catapulted her to two Olympic appearances and three Olympic gold medals, including the 2012 all-around title.
