Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas withdraws from first meet in 8 years due to COVID-19

Gabby Douglas became the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around gold medal when she helped the U.S. team at the 2012 Games. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

Gabby Douglas’ comeback will have to be paused after the three-time Olympic gold medalist announced on Instagram she is pulling out of this weekend’s USA Gymnastics’ Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, after testing positive for COVID-19.

Douglas, 28, had planned to participate in three of four events at the meet, her first since the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where she helped the U.S. win gold in the team competition.

The Winter Cup is used by American gymnasts to get ready for the competition ahead: making the U.S. team for this summer’s Olympics in Paris.

Douglas, who in 2012 became the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around gold medal, told NBC News earlier this month that her competitive fire rekindled after watching the 2022 U.S. Championships. It was then she decided to return to the gym in hopes of making a comeback.

“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,” said Douglas, who is training on all four apparatuses, but focusing more on the uneven bars. “I love gymnastics and love pushing myself. … I never wanted to walk away on a bad day.”

Should Douglas’ comeback be successful and she is part of the U.S. team in Paris, she will become the first American woman since Dominique Dawes to make three Olympic teams. Also making an attempt at that mark is four-time Olympic gold medalist and Douglas’ 2016 teammate Simone Biles, who will likely begin her season at the U.S. Classic in May.