Where Is Olympic Gymnast Gabby Douglas Now? You Haven't Seen the Last of Her

As the first Black woman to win the women's all-around gymnastics event at the Olympics, Gabby Douglas — who made history at the 2012 games in London — is a name that gymnastics lovers will never forget.

But after the elite athlete wowed audiences at the London games, and then again at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she seemed to retreat from the sport that made her a household name.

What happened to Gabby, and where is the three-time gold medalist now?

Gabby stepped away from gymnastics for a bit after Rio, appearing on The Masked Dancer and lending her acting talents to shows like The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder and films like Same Difference. She never mentioned anything about retiring, and then her coach Valeri Liukin confirmed in February 2023 that Gabby was back to Olympic training.

Gabby made the announcement herself a few months later in July 2023, writing on Instagram, "Hey guys, long time no post. 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."

She went on: "It’s so easy to suppress and run away from facing darkness and fears for many years, I’ve had an ache in my heart but I didn’t want to keep carrying anger, pain, sadness, or regret and through my tears and hurt, I’ve found peace. I wanted to find joy again in the sport that I absolutely love doing."

"I know I have a huge task ahead of me," she concluded, "and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor and even more grateful for all of your support and love. It truly means so much 🖤 there’s so much to be said but for now …. 💪 😎 let’s do this #2024~."

Later that year, in November 2023, Gabby explained to Time that while she didn't feel she did her best in Rio, she came to learn over time that medals don't define a person or the work they put in. "I still have many other talents to give, much more than just gymnastics," she said.

Gabby announced in February 2024 that she was planning to snag a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, saying that she'd come to realize a couple years back that she missed competing. She continued with training and competing, but in May 2024, she had to bow out of the race thanks to an ankle injury.

But if you think you've seen the last of Gabby, you've got another thing coming. She's planning on representing Team USA again for the 2028 games in L.A., and we honestly couldn't be more excited for her.