US gymnastics legend Gabby Douglas is OUT of the Paris Olympics after suffering ankle injury in training
US gymnastics legend Gabby Douglas will miss the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris after suffering an ankle injury during training.
The three-time gold medalist suffered the injury while training for the U.S. Championships this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas.
While the severity of the injury has not been disclosed, Douglas will reportedly miss the U.S. Championships β a mandatory step towards Olympic selection.
Her absence from this weekend’s competition means she is no longer eligible for a spot on the Olympic team, which would have been her first since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Simone Biles and Shilese Jones are currently the frontrunners to secure their selection sports. Douglas’ fellow veterans Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are competing for Olympic spots.
Gabby Douglas has been ruled out of the Summer Olympics in Paris due to an ankle injury
Douglas will miss the U.S. Championship in Fort Worth, making her ineligible for Paris
A performance in Paris would have made Douglas the oldest US woman to compete in Olympic gymnastics since the 1950s.
Nevertheless, Douglas said she is ready to begin her recovery and will train to compete in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles – when she will be 32.
βIt would be such an honor to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games on home soil,β Douglas said.
Douglas became the first African-American Olympic individual all-around champion in 2012. In addition, she won team gold in London and Rio. She has also won two gold medals at the World Championships, the Pacific Rim Championships and the Pan American Championships during her storied career.
βI hope I can inspire both my peers and the next generation of gymnasts that age is just a number and that you can achieve anything you work hard for,β Douglas told ESPN.