Going for the repeat!
USA Gymnastics will name the women they will be sending to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 10, and Gabby Douglas hopes to be on the team.
While most members of the 2012 gold medal–winning Fierce Five team have left the sport, Douglas wants gold all over again.
“I never wanted to retire after 2012; I definitely wanted to take a break though,” the 20-year-old, who also earned a gold medal in the individual all-around in London, tells Us Weekly. “I never wanted to give up gymnastics. I still wanted to do another Olympics after.”
This time around will be different for the Douglas Family Gold star.
“I think one of the biggest changes is going from not being really well known to being the Olympic champion coming back. Everyone is going to have this expectation of me,” she says.
While Douglas faces tough competition — most notably from her teammate Simone Biles, who just won her fourth national title at the P&G Gymnastics Championships in June — she is hoping for another gold.
“It would be a dream come true because I really love a challenge and I’m taking it! I’m taking a challenge. There are more things I want to accomplish in gymnastics and to go back and defend my title and be on top again would just be amazing,” Douglas says.
Having 2012 team captain Aly Raisman — who, like Douglas, did not retire after the Games — by her side again is an added bonus.
“It’s so nice to have Aly with me because we know the ropes a little bit and having that experience in London definitely helps us down the road to Rio. It’s just nice to have a buddy that, you know, gets it! Like, ‘Remember when this happened?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Remember when that happened?’ ‘Yes!’”
Watch the Women’s Olympic Trials on NBC July 8 at 9 p.m. ET, and July 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Rio Olympics begin August 5 and will be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. The Rio Paralympics begin on September 7 and will be streamed live on TeamUSA.org.
