What Has Gabby Douglas Been Up to Since the Rio Olympics in 2016?

Published 02/23/2024, 10:15 AM EST

The return of Gabby Douglas to the gymnastics stage has been the talk of the town for gymnastics fans since July 2023. Gabby is an icon in the sport, becoming the first African American to win the all-around title at the Olympics. Her legend was solidified when she earned three Olympic gold medals. Since the 2016 Olympics, Gabby has been on a hiatus that many have confused with her retirement.

However, most recently, she shared, “I never announced a retirement. I didn’t want to end this sport like I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on myself and my mental state.” So what has the legend been up to since 2016?

A timeline of what Gabby Douglas has been up to since 2016

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According to her Instagram profile, 31-year-old Gabrielle Douglas has kept herself busy since 2016 as a powerful advocate and philanthropist in sports. After her glorious display at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Gabby Douglas announced the release of her own Barbie doll on May 1, 2017.

In September 2017, Gabby Douglas, whom Nike in 2016 signed a significant deal with, had a photo shoot for Nike by Inez and Vinoodh featured in the September issue of Vogue. Following a busy year in 2017, on January 16, 2018, Douglas expressed gratitude for her experience on the Guam and Hawaii tours, interacting with service members and their families.

Then, on April 26, 2018, Gabby Douglas announced her collaboration with Nike Shox line, expressing excitement about being a part of the Nike team. In 2018, Douglas even attended the 2018 Global Maxim Awards, thanking Nike for the experience. And ending 2018 on a high note, she participated in an event with Kobe Bryant, learning about the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

What did the legend do between 2020 and 2023?

2020 for Gabby Douglas began on a high note, as on January 8, 2020, she conducted a gymnastics clinic for Marriott Bonvoy members, emphasizing her coaching role and involvement with gymnastics. On February 8, 2020, Gabby Douglas attended the Nike 2020 Forum event, expressing gratitude for the opportunity and reflecting on the importance of dreaming big and helping others.

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Following this, in February she participated in the Hallmark Channel’s “Best in Rescue” event, supporting rescue dogs. In May 2020, she became the cover model for FabFitFun’s summer 2020 issue and partnered with them to support the Special Olympics. Exciting news came in 2020 when Gabby Douglas joined the LA28 Games as an LA28 Creator, promoting diversity and unity.

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She even partnered with Stryker Visualization for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, advocating for breast reconstruction options. In 2021, Gabby once again partnered with Barbie for the “You Can Be Anything” series, inspiring children with workshops and performances in March. A blazing gymnastics throwback came on August 12, 2022, where she shared a personal message about her struggles, emphasizing the importance of spreading love and kindness.

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Gabby then announced her return to gymnastics, expressing gratitude for the support and excitement for the future. Fans awaited her return to the 2024 Winter Cup as her comeback, but Gabby Douglas tested positive for COVID. As fans await her comeback, what do you think about this epic journey of the icon? Comment below!

Watch this story: Global Giant With Over $59,300,000,000 Revenue Joins Hands With Past Olympians in a Wild-Entry to Paris Olympics

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Written by:

Christaline Meyers is a senior Olympics writer at EssentiallySports who specializes in gymnastics and alpine skiing. Christaline is one of the acclaimed authorities in the coverage of 6x All-Around champion, Simone Biles. She has written extensively, covering every detail of Biles’s life stories as well as providing her perspective on Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike controversy.

Edited by:

Sampurna Pal

What Has Gabby Douglas Been Up to Since the Rio Olympics in 2016?

A timeline of what Gabby Douglas has been up to since 2016

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What did the legend do between 2020 and 2023?