Gabby Douglas Announces Return to Competitive Gymnastics

Gabby Douglas is back in the swing of things.

The three-time gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast announced Thursday on Instagram that she’s returning to “the sport that i absolutely love doing” after a seven-year hiatus.

“I know I have a huge task ahead of me and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor,” she wrote alongside two black-and-white photos of herself practicing on a balance beam. “There’s so much to be said but for now … let’s do this.”

Douglas — who was the first Black woman to win the individual all-around at the London Olympics in 2012 — did not elaborate on when or where she would next compete, but she did allude to her reasons for stepping away from the sport.

“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,” she wrote on Instagram. “And through my tears and hurt, i’ve found peace. i wanted to find the joy again …”

Douglas was brutally harassed online during the 2016 Rio Olympics with misogynistic and racist attacks. She was repeatedly berated online for “disrespecting” her country by not putting her hand on her heart, for not smiling enough and for not styling her hair in a way that pleased certain viewers watching the Olympics.

Douglas was also among the most prominent figures in gymnastics who came forward with sexual abuse allegations against USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. More than 100 women, including Douglas and fellow Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Simone Biles, accused Nassar of abuse. He pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2017 and was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. He reportedly was stabbed in the chest, back and neck on Sunday at the federal prison in Florida, where he is serving his sentence.

“i know i have a huge task ahead of me,” Douglas admitted on Instagram. “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?”