Gabby Douglas’ dreams of winning a fourth Olympic gold medal this summer appear to be over after she withdrew from the US Gymnastics Championships due to an ankle injury.
The 28-year-old, who won all-round and team gold in 2012 before following up with team gold at Rio 2016, had hoped to compete in Paris after missing the Tokyo Games. But the injury, which she suffered during training this week, put an end to her ambition to become the oldest American female gymnast to compete in the Olympics since 1952.
“I love this sport and I like to push my limits,” Douglas told ESPN on Wednesday. “I 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.”
Douglas became the first black gymnast to win the all-around title at the Olympics when she triumphed in London. She was often viciously criticized by those who considered her unpatriotic, especially when she did not place her hand over her heart while on the podium at the Rio Olympics. When she decided to make a comeback in Paris, Douglas said she hoped to enjoy her sport again.
“I never wanted to harbor hatred for the sport I love,” Douglas said on the Time Magazine podcast last November. “I didn’t want it to end this way. I never announced my retirement, I always kept in the back of my mind: ‘We have to finish better.’ My family also said, ‘Even if you’re just starting out, just go back to the gym and enjoy it again, I think that’s a step.’”
Douglas wasn’t looking good when she qualified for the US Championships in April, but still had hopes of making it to Paris 2024. The U.S. championships were her last chance to qualify for next month’s Olympic trials.
On Wednesday, she said she had not given up hope of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I have proven to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at the top level,” Douglas told ESPN. “My plan is to continue training for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. It would be a great honor to represent the US at the Olympic Games on home soil.”