Gabby Douglas announces return to competitive gymnastics with eye on Paris
Gabby Douglas, who was the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around gold medal when she earned the top prize in London in 2012, is ready to try for another one.
Gabby Douglas, who was the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around gold medal when she earned the top prize in London in 2012, is ready to try for another one.
"I'm still a competitor at heart," Douglas said in an interview Tuesday night on "Hallie Jackson NOW." "After watching the 2022 championships, I was like I miss competing. ... I found myself in the gym, and I was like, all right, maybe I could do this again."
She'll return to her first competition in eight years on Feb. 24 at the Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, the first elite gymnastics meet of the year. The event will be her first competition since the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I didn't want to end this sport how I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on my mental state,” she said. “I love gymnastics and love pushing myself. ... I never wanted to walk away on a bad day."
At 28, she will be the oldest gymnast in the competition at the Winter Cup.
Rating: 5