Three-time Olympic champion Gabby Douglas withdrew from U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Wednesday, two days before the women’s national competition begins in Fort Worth, Texas, due to an ankle injury she sustained while training for the event, according to ESPN.
The 28-year-old, the 2012 Olympic all-around champion, was attempting a comeback to make her third Olympic team. Douglas’ withdrawal from championships means she will not be eligible to qualify for the Olympic trials at the end of June, ending her bid to make the five-person team representing the United States in Paris.
Advertisement
Douglas hadn’t qualified to compete in all four events at championships, but she previously achieved the required three-event score to perform on vault, uneven bars and balance beam. At the Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, Conn., earlier this month, Douglas was slated to compete in the all-around but withdrew from the event after struggling on bars in her first rotation. She fell twice on pirouetting skills and scored just a 10.10.
Douglas has plans to continue training at the elite level with her eyes on the 2028 Games.
“My plan is to continue to train for the L.A. 2028 Olympics,” she said to ESPN. “It would be such an honor to represent the U.S. at a home Olympics.”
Simone Biles and Suni Lee, the 2016 and 2020 Olympic all-around gold medalists, respectively, headline the women’s field for Friday and Sunday’s sessions.
Required reading
- Simone Biles begins 2024 campaign with Core Hydration Classic win: Which other Olympic hopefuls stood out?
- Simone Biles starts her Paris Olympics build-up and looks ready for the moment
(Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)