“This may be the end of this chapter but not the end of my gymnastics story.” – Gabby Douglas was set to make her comeback to mainstream competitions after 8 long years. The 28-year-old would have been the oldest U.S. Olympic gymnast since 1952, but an unforeseen injury in May this year abruptly shattered her dream of making it to the Paris Olympics. Fans were disheartened to see her bow out, but the Olympian hasn’t let this dim her passion.

While Douglas is dismayed at her inability to compete at the French capital, she has now shifted her focus to something bigger. The 2012 Olympic all-around champion will now prepare for the 2028 Summer Games on her home turf. She first fell in love with the sport at the tender age of 6, but Douglas has always dreamed of representing her nation at the Olympics, and not being at Paris has only pushed her to work harder towards that goal.

Gabby Douglas is laser focused on starting afresh for LA2028

Gabby Douglas may not compete at the Bercy Arena this time around. But the gymnast is still holding on tightly to her Olympic dream. However, as the 2028 Summer Games come around, Douglas will be 32. While many gymnasts hang their leotards at 24-25, the American Cup champion doesn’t think her dream is unattainable. “I feel like at this point, age is really just a number because my body can still do amazing things even at 28.” In an exclusive interview to People, she emphasizes how she remains steadfast in her quest of her third Olympic berth and that all hope is not lost. 

The gymnast even has a simple plan to ensure she has a fair shot. “And I just think that when you have the proper diet, structure, schedule, and everything that aligns, then you can do anything that you put your mind to.” Douglas etched her name in history at the 2012 London Olympics. She was the first black gymnast to win an Olympic title at her Summer Games debut. But she didn’t just stop there! She then went on to clinch team golds and winning the all-around event. This made her the first American to achieve these monumental feats at the same Olympic games. 

Douglas knew she was destined to be at the Summer Games at the tender age of 9, and she got to relive that dream during her second Olympic berth at the 2016 Rio Summer Games. Douglas missed out on securing another all-around title in Rio. But she had a hand in her nation securing a consecutive gold medal in the team competition. But not everything that shines is gold. Post the 2016 Olympics, Douglas decided to bow out of the arena to focus on her mental health.

However, her return to the sport was inevitable. Douglas once confessed that she didn’t want to end the sport like she did back in 2016. “I never wanted to walk away on a bad day.” Despite being away for 8 arduous years, many were anticipating her triumphant return. She returned to the sport as promised at the American Classic in April this year. Despite not making it to the podium, she scored 50.650 by the end of the competition and secured the 10th position in the standings.

A gruesome injury forced her to say au revoir to her Olympic Dreams

With her bid for Paris still going strong, Gabby Douglas was going to compete at the U.S. Gymnastics championships next. This was the elite gymnasts last chance to secure a spot at the Olympic Trials. But fate wasn’t on her side. During a training session, Douglas suffered an ankle injury, forcing her to bow out of the competition. “I love this sport and I love pushing my limits,” the gymnast didn’t let the situation dampen her spirits.

She announced her withdrawal with a heartfelt note on Instagram. “I’m sad to say that due to a foot injury during practice i will not be able to continue my 2024 journey.” Douglas was also grateful to her fans for supporting her throughout her journey and said that she is not done just yet. The athlete may not have had a successful Olympic season, but she is incredibly proud of her progress over the past 18 months. All she has to do for now is rest.

While Douglas doesn’t mind the down-time, she does find it a tad bit difficult. “That’s definitely the hard part because I just kind of want to like go, go, go, go, go, but I do have to allow a certain amount of time for my foot to heal and rest.” Even though we have 4 more years before the next Olympics roll around, we’re sure she is already looking forward to getting back to her routine. Are you looking forward to Gabby Douglas’s return? Do you want her to compete at LA2028? Let us know in the comments!