There’s another Olympic gymnastics champion on the comeback trail.
Gabby Douglas confirmed Thursday that she’s training again. The 27-year-old, who became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title at the London Olympics in 2012, said in an Instagram post she’s “found myself back where it all began.”
“For many years, I’ve had an ache in my heart. But I didn’t want to keep carrying anger, pain, sadness, or regret and through my tears and hurt, I’ve found peace,” Douglas said. “I wanted to find the joy again for the sport that I absolutely love doing.
“I know I have a huge task ahead of me and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor.”
Douglas posted two photos of herself on the balance beam. A sign in the background shows they were taken at WOGA, the gym owned by the parents of 2008 Olympic champion Nastia Liukin.
Douglas’ announcement means the last three Olympic champions are all back in training, with plans to compete at the Paris Games next year. Simone Biles, the 2016 Olympic champion, will compete for the first time since Tokyo at next month’s U.S. Classic. Sunisa Lee, who won gold in Tokyo, said in an Instagram story Wednesday that she’s “still in & out of gym due to my kidneys.” Lee was forced to cut her final season at Auburn short because of a kidney issue.
Douglas hasn’t competed since the Rio Olympics in 2016, when she helped the U.S. women win a second consecutive gold medal. But rumors began circulating last year that she’d returned to training, and Valeri Liukin confirmed in February that Douglas was at his gym outside Dallas.
Nothing more was said publicly, however. Douglas did not attend the national team training camp that just ended — Biles was there for the first time since 2021 — and she wasn’t on the list of competitors for next month’s U.S. Classic, the qualifier for the national championships.
But Douglas indicated that Paris is her goal, ending her Instagram post with, “Let’s do this. #2024.”
