?So Much Going On Behind the Scenes?: Gymnast Gabby Douglas Reveals the Real Reason Behind Her 2016 Olympic Hiatus

Gabby Douglas has been through a lot. Not only has she ridden the highs that come with success in gymnastics, she has gone through the lows as well. She had to cope with several issues on and off the mat. Her lowest point came in the year 2016 during the Rio Olympics. After her ordeal became too much for her, she steered clear of competition since the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Gabby Douglas was part of the US team that took the team all-around gold medal. That was her third gold medal overall. Regardless, this July she revealed she will be returning to compete in 2024. Recently on a podcast, Douglas shared the reason for her lengthy hiatus from competition following the Rio Olympics.

Gabby Douglas needed time to reset things

Elite sport comes with any number of mental and physical challenges. Besides those, Gabby Douglas had to cope with backlash from the fans for reasons she could not completely identify. By her own admission, she did not give her all in Rio as she had in London four years previously. Douglas revealed on Person of the Week with Charlotte Alter, “… there was a lot on the decision, on the team-making, and who was on the team. And so, I got a lot of backlash, and even in the Olympics, there was so much I was getting backlash for. And there was so much going on behind the scenes that people didn?t know.”

Given that Douglas had to cope with additional backlash from the fans, she decided she needed some time away. She said, “… I need to take a break for myself and step back completely, and work on me, because it took a lot out of me physically, mentally, emotionally, and I was like so, I?m never looking at a leotard, I?m never touching the gym.” Now, she returns after a lengthy journey of soul-searching and rejuvenation. That is a far cry from how she felt back in 2016.

The trailblazing gymnast felt unworthy of her accolades

Gabby Douglas felt undeserving of her spot on Team USA for Rio 2016. She attributed part of that to a drop in her level of effort. In addition, the crowd’s words got to her. In Douglas’ words, “It was really a lot. It?s feeling like you didn?t deserve something, but you were given a second chance. But people were still like, like how people say like, ‘That?s not my President.’ Like, this is not my ideal team.”

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That was not her sole ordeal that fateful day. Gabby Douglas, too, survived Larry Nassar as per her revelation in 2017. Douglas added, people were saying horrific things to compound her woes. She listed those comments, such as, “You should?ve never been there. You shouldn?t have competed USA… like, you?re staining the flag, if you will. This country doesn?t want you.”?In the end, she felt like she did not deserve all she had earned. Fortunately for her, that is a thing of the past.

After recharging her batteries, Gabby Douglas is looking to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. If she succeeds in qualifying, that would make her the oldest American female gymnast to do so since 1952. Aly Raisman believes she is best placed to achieve that feat.

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