"It ended rough for me in 2016"- Gabby Douglas reveals the reason for making a competitive comeback aiming for the Paris Olympics after a long hiatus

Former Olympic Champion Gabby Douglas making a comeback in this season with the Paris Olympics in sight has been one of the most exciting moments for gymnastics fans. She decided to have a competitive comeback after an eight-year-long hiatus from the sport after the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Fans were intrigued by her decision to return to the sport once again. However, her return made the sport more competitive than ever for a spot in the United States Women's Gymnastics Olympic team for Paris.

With gymnasts like Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, Shilese Jones, Leanne Wong, Suni Lee, and several others in contention for an Olympic berth, the battle at the Olympic trials would be a thriller for gymnastics enthusiasts.

Gabby Douglas revealed the reason for making a comeback after an eight-year-long hiatus. She spoke about her vision of concluding her incredible gymnastics career.

“I missed gymnastics and I loved it, and it ended rough for me in 2016. I didn’t want to end on that note. Like regardless of the outcome, I wanted to make sure like I end on love and joy instead of like hating something that I love,” she said. (as quoted by Olympics.com)

Gabby Douglas at the American Classic 2024

Gabby Douglas at the Rio Olympics

Gabby Douglas made her long-awaited comeback at the 2024 American Classic after missing the Winter Cup in February due to COVID-19. She missed out on the podium at the tournment due to some minute errors.

However, the Olympic champion remains optimistic about her future contest as she was out of the competitive sphere for a long time before the American Classic.

“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. Like, when the hand goes up, like too much gas, not enough gas,” Douglas told Olympics.com.

“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,” she dadded.

Gabby Douglas has already had an impressive Olympics career, with three golds to her name. The American won two of them at the London Games in 2012, including one in the All-around event. She was part of the team that won gold in both 2012 and 2016.