Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas has postponed her return to gymnastics.
Douglas announced on Instagram that she is pulling out of this weekend’s USA Gymnastics’ Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, after returning a positive COVID-19 test.
“Hey guys. I’m so sad to say that I won’t be competing this weekend. I was so excited to get back out on the competition floor, but unfortunately, I just tested positive for COVID,” Douglas wrote.
“Thank you so much for all of your support and positive energy—it really does mean the world to me. I’m crushed but I’ll see you guys soon!
“Sending my best to everyone competing.”
Douglas was set to compete in three of four events at this weekend’s meet. It was going to be her first competition since the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she helped the United States capture a gold medal in the team competition.
The 28-year-old, who made history when she became the first Black gymnast to win an Olympic all-around gold medal in 2012, announced that she would be returning to gymnastics training in July 2023 with eyes toward competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I know I have a huge task ahead of me and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor,” Douglas wrote on Instagram at the time.
Douglas has been training at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Texas, which is owned by the parents of 2008 Olympic champion Nastia Liukin. While she has been working on all four apparatuses, she has placed more of a focus on her signature event, the uneven bars.
Douglas told NBC News earlier this month that she decided to make a comeback after watching the 2022 U.S. Championships.
“I didn’t want to end this sport how I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on my mental state,” Douglas said. “I love gymnastics and love pushing myself. … I never wanted to walk away on a bad day.”
Douglas will become the first American woman to make three Olympic teams since Dominique Dawes if she is selected for the United States’ five-person Paris team.
Simone Biles, who was on the 2016 gold medal-winning team alongside Douglas, is also vying to make an Olympic comeback. She is the most decorated U.S. women’s gymnast in history.
Additionally, Sunisa ‘Suni’ Lee, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics all-around champion, is hoping to return to the Olympics after battling a kidney-related illness.
The 20-year-old announced her retirement from her NCAA career at Auburn in April 2023 because of the illness, but she recently revealed in an interview with Olympics.com that she is “in remission”
