Source: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty
Gabby Douglas’ bid for the 2024 Olympics in Paris has sadly been cut short.
ESPN reports that the three-time Olympic gold medalist suffered an ankle injury during training this week. As a result, Douglas has to drop out of this weekend’s U.S. championships in Fort Worth, Texas, thus ending her planned comeback to the Olympics after an eight-year hiatus.
At 28 years old, Douglas would’ve been the oldest American female gymnast to compete in the Olympics since 1952. Although her journey has been cut short, Douglas tells ESPN that she is proud of what she has accomplished.
“I love this sport and I love pushing my limits. 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, a two-time Olympian, was the first Black gymnast to win the all-around title at the 2012 games in London. She also helped the US earn back-to-back team gold medals in London and the 2016 games in Rio.
Douglas returned to competition in April at the American Classic in Katy, Texas, where she qualified for the US championships. However, she struggled on the bars at the US Classic in Connecticut earlier this month and ultimately withdrew from the rest of the competition.
The US championships would’ve been Douglas’ last chance to earn an invite to the Olympic trials in Minneapolis in June.
Despite the setback, don’t count Douglas out just yet: She’s already planning to train for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles once she’s healed up.
“I proved to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at an elite level,” said Douglas, who also plans to reunite with her longtime representative, Lowell Taub of Range Sports. “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.”
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Gabby Douglas Withdraws Bid For 2024 Paris Olympics Due to Injury was originally published on hiphopnc.com
