2012 Olympic all-around gold medalist Gabby Douglas is back with her gymnastics magic! Douglas has returned to competitive gymnastics after an 8-year absence, hoping to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Douglas’ competitive fire was renewed at the US championships two years ago but met with an early season upset this year after testing positive for COVID-19 and losing out on the Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky appearance.

Gabby finally made the much-anticipated comeback in the American Classic in Katy, Texas on April 27. According to an update by @yourboygon on X, “GABBY DOUGLAS PULLING A GORG DOUBLE TWIST YURCHENKO AFTER 8 YEARS WE ARE SO BACK.” The tournament included top elite competitors like three Olympic medalists—Douglas, Jade Carey, and Sunisa Lee—as well as 2023 World Team champion Joscelyn Roberson, making it a noteworthy event for gymnastics fans.

The Core Hydration Classic in May provides another opportunity for gymnasts to demonstrate their abilities and compete for coveted positions. Further, the American Classic is a major qualifying event for the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, which will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, from May 30 to June 2. With Douglas’ stunning return to form, fans and sportsmen alike are eagerly anticipating future tournaments.

Olympic gold medalist takes the leap of faith

Gabby Douglas never officially announced her retirement from gymnastics but kept a low profile since the 2016 Rio Olympics backlash. In February 2024, Douglas told NBC News, “I was watching the 2022 [U.S.] championships, and I was like, ‘Man, I miss competing.’ And, I was trying to figure out how to get like this. I’m still a competitor at heart. I can get this out of me, and so I decided to start back training.”

The long hiatus from gymnastics training continued until July 2022, when she chose to return to the gym, first driven primarily to regain confidence. As time wore on, the three-time Olympic gold recipient expressed her desire to officially retire following her final participation at the 2024 Summer Games. Douglas spent her time training at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Texas, an elite gym that has produced Olympic champions such as Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, and Madison Kocia.

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It was a turning point in November 2023 when Douglas attended a US national team camp for the first time in eight years. Despite her efforts and ambitions, Douglas was ruled unfit to join the April camp, which offered a road to qualify for the U.S. Championships. According to USA Gymnastics’ criteria, participants must be current national team members/ placed in the top 12 all-around at the Winter Cup and earned the qualification score for the U.S. Championships or be Tokyo Olympics medalists. Douglas failed to meet these requirements, making her return to competitive gymnastics is in itself a monumental win for Gabby Douglas.

Douglas, 28, hopes to become the oldest U.S. Olympic female gymnast since 1952, establishing her place in history among top American gymnasts who have competed in three Olympics.