Gabby Douglas might have taken the risk to grace the mats and bars after eight years. However, coming back to compete with top-tier athletes requires a lot of effort, both mental and physical. While Douglas has been sweating it out hard in the gym, the rustiness has been visible every time she stepped foot on the mat. Douglas competed at the American Classics a few weeks back.

In her initial floor routine, the 2012 all-around champion looked significantly nervous. She managed to garner a score of 11.450, which was much less than what she had expected. Well, coming into the Core Hydration Classics, things were expected to have improved, but the sorry state of affairs continued. A recent update has even dashed Douglas’ hopes of competing in the AA. 

Gabby Douglas is out of All-Around contention 

From the looks of it, Gabby Douglas’ quest for a second Olympic all-around medal is now shattered. An X account uploaded a screenshot for the eligibility of an athlete petitioning the authorities. The post read, “Gabby Douglas cannot petition to compete AA at Nationals.” As per Chapter 9 of the Elite Program, point number A1 states, “No petitions will be considered for athletes obtaining an all-around score at a Classic competition.”

This meant that Gabby Douglas, who pulled out of the Core Hydration Classics, would not be able to submit a petition. For the uninitiated, Gabby Douglas decided not to compete only after being awarded points by the judges. Douglas could only manage a meager 10.1 on the bars, thus making it difficult for her to inch closer to the all-around cutoff, which was 51. Douglas suffered a huge setback when she fell twice while performing her routine on the bars. This resulted in massive deductions that further thwarted Douglas’ dreams. 

Well, there was some support for Gabby Douglas, though. Several fans commented about faults with the uneven bars. The reason for such claims was the fact that many other gymnasts too fell, including the likes of Kayla DiCello and Konnor McClain. Sadly, even with the support, the sad reality about Douglas’ future cannot be denied. 

Douglas’ future looks bleak 

Gabby Douglas looked stunned after her dismal performance at the Core Hydration Classics. Such a performance meant that her participation in the Xfinity Classics might be in the doldrums. A dejected Douglas commented after her Core Hydration disappointment, “Honestly didn’t do the best that I wanted… But I have to give myself a little grace because it’s been so long.”

The 28-year-old also deleted several of her Instagram posts. Eagle-eyed fans soon picked up the update and speculated that it was due to her heartbreak at the Core Hydration. Going forward, Douglas must now concentrate on her vault, balance, and beam. These are the three disciplines in which she has already qualified for the Nationals.

However, with Douglas out of the all-around picture, the opportunity for the likes of Jordan Chiles and Shilese Jones has opened up. Suni Lee also had a mediocre outing, further sparking rumors about how the final team would look at going into the Paris Olympics. But for now, all we can do is wait and watch.