Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas set to make return appearance at U.S. national team camp
Douglas has not been at a U.S. national team camp since competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio seven years ago
Artistic Gymnastics
London 2012 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas is set to make her first trip to a U.S. national team camp since last competing in elite gymnastics some seven years ago at the 2016 Olympic Games. The camp is being held at Stars Gymnastics in Katy, Texas, from 12-15 November.
"#CampBound," Douglas posted on her Instagram story Saturday (11 November).
Douglas' camp appearance will come after months of rumors and, then, confirmation that she was back in the gym by coach Valeri Liukin in late February and then a post in July from Douglas.
"As you all know, I stepped back from the socials, and in that time, I did a lot of journaling, reflecting, soul searching and found myself back where it all began," Douglas wrote on Instagram with a photo of her performing a split leap on the balance beam. "I wanted to find the joy again for the sport that I absolutely love doing. I know I have a huge task ahead of me, and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor.
"There’s so much to be said but for now….💪 😎 Let’s do this #2024," she concluded.
Douglas, 27, hours later shared a seven-second long training clip on the uneven bars that showed her peforming two extremely difficult pirouetting elements. Last month, Douglas shared a clip of herself executing a standing back flip with a full twist on the balance beam.
The July post came a little over two weeks after fellow Olympic all-around gold medallists Simone Biles, 2016, and Sunisa Lee, 2020, announced their plans to compete at August's U.S. Classic. Many expected, then, that Douglas might join the duo at the competition, but she did not.
Her presence at a national team camp, however, would seem to indicate a continued progression toward a return to competition. The U.S. elite gymnastics season begins in late February with the Winter Cup.