Three Olympic gold medals. These dangling trophies are something the typical person can only dream of achieving. For Gabby Douglas, they are a reality; however, with her recent announcement to return to the Olympics after an 8-year hiatus, it is clear she is not settling just yet.
“I am very excited to see [Gabby Douglas] come back this year,” Mipo Thomas, senior, said.
Following her last appearance in the 2016 Summer Olympics, many believed that Douglas had put an end to her Olympic career in gymnastics; however, on July 13, she announced via Instagram that she would make a return for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Along with her break from the competitive sport, Douglas took a step back from Instagram in 2022 for her mental health, with this announcement post being her first appearance on the social media app in nearly a year.
“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 to be back out on the floor and even more grateful for all of your support and love,” Douglas said in the post.
Hundreds of her fans flooded her comment section under the post, as Douglas has made quite the mark for young girls, especially young Black girls, everywhere. Many of her fans expressed how they were especially proud of her for returning after she was originally inclined to leave the Olympics in 2016 following her reported sexual abuse from Larry Nasser, team USA’s former doctor who is currently being held at United States Penitentiary Coleman II for assaulting the team’s gymnasts. With her long list of accomplishments and her resilience to never let the color of her skin stop her from being one of the top gymnasts in the world, many look up to her and see her as nothing less than an inspiration.
“I love watching the gymnastics competition in the Olympics, so I am super excited to watch Gabby Douglas perform and do what she loves in the 2024 Summer Olympics,” Kelsie Mattson, sophomore, said.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Douglas will be joined by Simone Biles and Suni Lee, who are both highly acclaimed athletes with multiple Olympic medals on their extensive gymnastics resumes. Now, with three of the world’s top gymnasts on team USA, the country is sure looking forward to this upcoming summer.
“I am pumped [for the Summer 2024 Olympics]. I have been waiting for so long,” Karli Mancini, freshman, said
Whether or not one grew up watching Douglas on the big screen, now is the time to tune in and watch as the incredible gymnast makes her mark on the world once again.
