"I was like, ‘I'm going to miss the podium"- Gabby Douglas laments on the ordeal of being stranded in Dallas ahead of the U.S Core Hydration Classic

Gabby Douglas reflected on the adversity of the travel nightmare she faced ahead of the 2024 U.S. Core Hydration Classic. Douglas has returned to the gymnastics arena after competing at the 2024 American Classic following a nearly eight-year hiatus.

The 2024 U.S Core Hydration Classic is scheduled at the XL Center, an Arena in Hartford, Connecticut for Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, 2024. A day prior to the competition, Douglas took to social media to express her concerns over travel delays after being stuck in Dallas, Texas due to repeated flight postponements and ultimately, the cancellation.

However, after a few efforts and arrangements, Douglas managed to find a private jet with the help of her agent. She landed in Connecticut at 6 a.m. and participated in the podium practice with only two hours of sleep.

During an interview with Olympics.com, she assessed the situation conveying how narrowly she would have missed competing at the 2024 U.S Core Hydration Classic.

“Oh, my goodness. It was a whole thing. [My flight] got pushed from 7 to 9 to 11 to cancelled,” Douglas explained. “We go to the desk and she's like, ‘Well, there's nothing until Saturday like noon.’ I was like, ‘I'm going to miss the podium.’

“My mom called my agent, and he was like, ‘Hey, like, I know someone with a private jet,” Douglas added.

"Taking it one step at a time" - Gabby Douglas on her performances following her return to gymnastics

Gabby Douglas competed at the 2024 American Classic after her eight-year-long hiatus.

Although her performance was far from perfect it was a worthy redemption after the long break. She finished second in the vault, collecting a total of 14.000 points, and finished fifth in the balance beam event after registering 13.350 points.

During the same interview, Douglas admitted she didn't perform at her best, but the three-time Olympic gold medalist is patient with herself taking one step at a time.

“I obviously didn't do the best that I wanted, but… I have to give myself a little bit of grace because it's been so long, and it was kind of like a little bit of… being unknown," Gabby Douglas said.

"Like, when the hand goes up, like too much gas, not enough gas. It’s like riding a horse, you know, it's like you never lose it. So I'll take it, and I've taken it, and so I kind of got back in the gym and work hard, do the numbers.”

“I’m not gonna put a lot of pressure on myself. I'm just kind of taking it one step at a time. And, then, we'll go from there," she added.

The 2024 U.S. Hydration Core serves as an opportunity for Gabby Douglas to earn a spot for the 2024 U.S. National Championships.