“A Reach But”: Gymnastics Community Divided Over Gabby Douglas Dropping Floor in Xfinity Championships

Gabby Douglas‘ return to the mat in 2024 after an eight-year hiatus hasn’t gone to plan so far. She withdrew from the Winter Cup earlier this year, competed in the American Classic with mixed results and her Core Hydration Classic run ended abruptly. Now she is preparing for the Xfinity Championships with her Olympic hopes hanging in the balance. Her fans are awaiting to see her pull off performances that led her to three Olympic gold medals in two editions.

Given her withdrawals from competition and not getting proper results, is it time for Douglas to change her floor routine at the upcoming Xfinity Championships? This is what a user on X suggested, leading to a debate.

Will Gabby Douglas overcome her disappointing start to the Olympic year?

In a recent X post by @gymnicetix, one of her fan speculated on Gabby Douglas changing up her routine by moving her focus on one, rather than doing three events. They captioned it, “Imagine if GD got so pi***d for only doing three events that she maximizes on the opportunity and focuses on VT and pulls out an Amanar. Probably a reach but idgaf.”

Her floor routines have long been a highlight, showcasing strong tumbling passes and dynamic choreography. However, given her current trajectory, this speculation may not be farfetched.

In a recent interview with USA Today, Gabby Douglas talked about her routine and what changed for her at the American Classic in Texas. “We didn’t want ‘bouncy Gabby.’ We wanted more mysterious and very dramatic,” she said, highlighting a more mature version of herself. At the American Classic, she looked impressive on uneven bars, her signature event. But she also appeared rusty in spots and posted a score of 50.65 in the all-around, missing the 51.00 qualifying mark. Still this was enough to earn qualification for three events at the national championships.

She acknowledged the performance, saying, “I honestly didn’t do the best that I wanted. But I have to give myself a little bit of grace because it’s been so long.” However, she did not do well at the Core Hydration Classics this month when she bowed out after struggling on the beams and falling twice.

She was out by the first round and withdrew from other events. Earlier she had to withdraw from the Winter Cup in February after testing positive for COVID-19.

Since at the Core Hydration Classics, Douglas was unsuccessful, she missed an early chance of easy qualification. The focus is now on the 2024 Xfinity Gymnastics Championship. At the national championship, she will face off again with Suni Lee and CHC winner Simone Biles, as well as Jordan Chiles and Leanne Wong. Her way to get to Paris now will be to strategize. In a previous interview, Douglas hinted at including an Amanar and a Cheng in the floor routine. Now is the time to do so.

Once Douglas succeeds at the Xfinity games, she will get a chance at the US trials. This event will be the final stepping stone to the 2024 Paris Olympics, a make-or-break situation for her. Her fans are now awaiting to see the best of Douglas.

“Just not worth the injury risk,” Fans have their say on Gabby Douglas altering her routine

Gabby Douglas is hoping to join an exclusive list of American gymnasts who have competed in three Olympic Games. So far only 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes holds that distinction, with Simone Biles also looking to join the club. But Douglas’ window to qualify for Paris is getting shorter by the day. Thus the upcoming championships are of great importance.

Everyone is wondering what tricks Douglas has up her sleeve to claim the top spot at the Xfinity Championships. One fan expressed excitement at the hints Douglas has given about the possible new floor routine. There is a collective concern among supporters regarding the potential injury risk versus the relatively small advantage to be gained. But this fan remains hopeful and eager to see Gabby Douglas.

In an interview with NBC, Douglas talked about improving her game and even hinted working to develop several skills which she hasn’t displayed before. She said, “It starts with a C … that’s all I’m going to say,” this could likely be a hint at her attempting the Cheng vault, which was first performed by 2008 Olympic vault medalist Cheng Fei from China.

One fan hoped they will get to see it at the Xfinity Championships.

She has already shown impressive control on uneven bars, and her Yurchenko double can easily accommodate another half-twist, turning it into an Amanar.

The conversation continued to grow as more fans chimed in, expressing unwavering confidence in Gabby Douglas’ ability to excel on the floor. Their enthusiasm reflected a strong belief in Douglas’ potential to deliver outstanding performances across multiple apparatuses. One fan passionately remarked,

After winning the gold in Rio in 2016, Gabby Douglas remained out of competition for eight years and returned this year. During her NBC interview she said, “I want (the comeback) to scream that it doesn’t matter what your age is or what your race is. If you truly love something and you work for your craft, your craft will work for you. Never limit yourself due to other people’s limited expectations.”

Next, some of the fans emphasized that the recent Championships don’t necessarily have to mark the end of her journey toward the 2024 Olympics. They believe in Gabby Douglas’s resilience and potential for a comeback, setting realistic yet hopeful expectations for her future performances. They expressed optimism, with one fan sounding hopeful.

Gabby Douglas’ potential impact on the floor routine at the Xfinity Championships has stirred mixed reactions in the gymnastics world. Some admire her strategic shift, while others worry about its impact. As excitement builds for the event, all eyes are on Douglas to see how this decision shapes her performance and standing in the competition.