Photo: Getty Image
Three-time Olympic medalist Gabby Douglas is making a gymnastic comeback.
On Tuesday (February 6), Douglas, 28, announced her return to gymnastics, saying she "definitely" hopes to compete this summer at the Paris Olympics.
“I was watching the 2022 championships, and I was like, ‘Man, I miss competing,’ ” Douglas told NBC News. “And I was trying to figure out how to get this — I’m still a competitor at heart —so I decided to start back training.“
“And then I found myself in the gym and I was like, ‘Alright, maybe we can do this again,’ ” she added.
Douglas said she plans to compete at the Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, on Feb. 24.
The news comes eight years after the 2016 Rio Summer Games, in which Douglas was a part of the "Final Five" who won the team gold. Douglass also made history in 2012 when she became the first Black gymnast to ever win the all-around gold at the London Olympics.
“I would just love to go back out there and represent USA one more time and just to have that feeling of being a part of something, being a part of a team again would be amazing and a huge honor,” Douglas said Tuesday.
Douglas revealed that she will also participate in several competitions in preparation for the Olympic trials in June.
“I never really announced a retirement,” the gymnastics star said. “I never wanted to end this sport how I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on myself and work on my mental state. I love gymnastics. I love pushing myself every single day and I love the sport, so I never really wanted to walk away on a bad day. And I really want to make sure I really give it my all and end on a good note."
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