Why Olympic Gymnast Gabby Douglas Isn't Competing At The 2024 Winter Cup This Weekend
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Gabby Douglas will not be competing at the 2024 Winter Cup due to illness.
This was set to be Gabby’s first competition since the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
Since making her return to gymnastics training, Gabby seems determined to make it to the 2024 Olympics.
Gabby Douglas has been a big name in the gymnastics world for more than a decade, but she took several years away from the sport to work on her mental health. Unfortunately, the three-time Olympic medalist just shared that her big return to gymnastics has been delayed due to a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Gabby, 28, announced the news in an Instagram post a day before the 2024 Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky. "Hey guys. I'm so sad to say that I won't be competing this weekend. I was so excited to get back out on the competition floor, but unfortunately, I just tested positive for COVID,” she wrote. Gabby said that she’s “crushed” that she’ll need to skip the event, but sent her best to all the other gymnasts competing.
This was set to be Gabby’s first competition since the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Gabby was a member of the 2012 "Fierce Five" national gymnastics team which won gold in the team all-around. She also won the individual all-around title that year. In 2016, Gabby won gold again in the team event.
Gabby’s recent announcement raises a lot of questions about her future in gymnastics, including if she will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Here’s what we know so far.
Gabby stepped away from gymnastics for eight years to care for her mental health.
"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 shared in a recent interview on NBC’s Hallie Jackson Now. "I love gymnastics and love pushing myself. I never wanted to walk away on a bad day."
She was inspired to return after watching the 2022 World Championships.
“After watching the 2022 championships, I was like, 'I miss competing,'" Gabby said on Hallie Jackson Now. "I found myself in the gym, and I was like, 'Alright, maybe I could do this again.'"
In October 2022, Gabby shared a photo of herself training at a new gym, which sparked rumors that she was planning a comeback. "I wanted to find the joy again for the sport that I absolutely love doing," Gabby captioned the post. "I know i have a huge task ahead of me and i am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor. And even more grateful for all of your support and love. It truly means so much🖤there’s so much to be said but for now….💪 😎let’s do this #2024."
“I really think that time—stepping back away from the sport and figuring out myself, and life—helped me,” Gabby previously told Inside Gymnastics Magazine. “Deep down, I really believe I didn’t want to walk away from gymnastics.”
Late last year, Gabby also explained on the “Time Person of the Week” podcast that, although she didn't compete for several years, she never officially announced that she was retiring from gymnastics. “I never wanted to have a hatred for the sport that I love,” Gabby said. “I don’t want to end it that way. I’ve never announced retirement. I always kept in the back of my mind, like, we have to finish on a better note.”
She aims to compete in the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.
Gabby hinted at this goal with her 2022 post about her return to gymnastics by including "#2024" in the caption, a nod to the upcoming Olympic games.
At 28, Gabby would be the oldest person on the U.S. national team since the 1950s if she makes the cut, but she’s determined. The gymnast has shared plenty of photos and videos on Instagram of herself training, and she’s clearly (pardon the pun) going for the gold here.
The Olympic team trials will be held in late June, and the Summer Olympics start in Paris at the end of July. Go, Gabby!
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