Gabby Douglas Comeback Thread (5/29/24 Withdrawn from Nationals)

[lovegymnasts]

I’m

This is such an unnecessary take.

But a realistic one

 

[Passion]

She had a real comeback. She came back to gymnastics, trained for two years, competed elite routines on all four events at American Classic and qualified to Nationals on three events. That's a comeback.

She competed on more apparatus than Chellsie Memmel did in her comeback in 2021, was that not a real comeback? Memmel never even qualified herself to Nationals on any events, she had to petition to compete anything at Nationals.

Why is Memmel's comeback legitimate but Douglas' is somehow fake?

Douglas scored 14.0 on VT with a DTY at Classic, Chusovitina can't put up numbers that high on VT, is Chuso's comeback fake too?

What exactly is the scoring threshold where someone's gymnastics gets to count as real? Emma Malabuyo just qualifed to the Olympics with an AA score that was less than what Douglas put up at Am Classic. Is her comeback fake?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Of all the times to be on holiday with patchy WiFi, I had to choose this week.

 

[nog]

I honestly think this comeback wasn’t really about making Olympic team, but getting skills back to join this “professional league” that has been in the works for apparently quite some time. That makes much more sense to me. As has been pointed out, she has no other income. May be wrong, but that’s what my take is

 

[Jerkin]

I thought that from the very beginning of her "come back" She has no real income (that I know of anyway) and its a long time since 2012 and the marketing opportunities that brought. A "comeback" story seemed like a possible way to go. Sorry, but at this point it seems painfully clear that those of us who suspected this were correct.

"I proved to myself and to the sport that my skills remain at an elite level," said Douglas, who also plans to reunite with her longtime representative, Lowell Taub of Range Sports. "My plan is to continue to train for the L.A. 2028 Olympics. It would be such an honor to represent the U.S. at a home Olympics."

Please.

Sorry, I will be the bitch and say what many are probably thinking.. nothing but what was expected after the classics fiasco… right now I feel the comeback is nothing more than keeping people interested in Gabby the gymnast for monatary gains.
She wants to continue on to LA? Find another coach, if they will have her. Be serious about it and start off with little meets here and there to build competitive experience again. build up to the big meets. Take the opportunity to qualify for after Olympics worlds and build the name of not quitting that she build up right now. She might be the next worldchampion, I would bow for her if she accomplishes it. Actually I hope she does.. right now though, it is a build up to…nothing…

Not only are these posts nasty, they’re also just stupid. Sorry. Gymnastics is a minority sport that nobody watches outside of the Olympics. Unless a gymnast is on an Olympic team (or already dominant like Simone or Rebeca) and being broadcast to millions, no company is going throw significant money at anyone. The only sponsorship she’s promoted in the past 9 months is a soothing foot cream. She doesn't even have a sports apparel deal. Where is all the money she's supposedly earning from this?

The whole “comeback not real” nonsense was laughable at the time and even more after seeing those routines in warm up. Thinking she spent 22 months training all-around, relearning hard skills and paying one of the most prominent coaches in the world for marketing is as delusional as thinking she was going to beat Simone in Paris.

What this does show is that it is incredibly hard for a 28 year old gymnast to come back after being away for a 8 years, particularly when they try to come back right in an Olympic year, miss the start of the season, don’t attend enough camps, don’t give themselves meet experience before the Olympic selection events and have a coach that can't construct routines. She has made some questionable decisions and did not seem mentally ready for what this all required. Call her delusional, mentally weak or whatever but be serious please.

 

[RedBirdie]

I honestly think this comeback wasn’t really about making Olympic team, but getting skills back to join this “professional league” that has been in the works for apparently quite some time. That makes much more sense to me. As has been pointed out, she has no other income. May be wrong, but that’s what my take is

If that's the case, why not go the Chellsie Memmel 2021 route? Why not set far more realistic goals? Surely if a pro league is the end goal, one needs not to demonstrate ring leaps on beam, or a jammed packed bars routine. Nor do you need to do media spots declaring your Paris intentions.

I really do think reality slapped Gabby here in a way she never expected. When she came back in 2015, skills returned easily and she quickly was at the top of the ranks. Even in 2016, with all the mess that it was, once Marta was able to hold the reins and sidelined Christian, Gabby improved very quickly. But this time around, be it an older body, a longer time out of the gym, a new code, or some combination of all three, the comeback was much more difficult in ways she never anticipated.

I'll throw in that going to Valeri and absolutely awful routine construction played a role in all of this. She absolutely could have hit a 51 at American Classic with better designed routines.

 

[rlayt]

Well it was nice to imagine and the snippets of training were nice. I’m not delusional but part of me hopes she does train more. The entertainment is worth hoping a little.

 

[tsarinajen]

Never thought Twitter would be less negative….

Gabby owes the fans nothing… if she wants to train with Valeri until she’s 50, that’s her choice. I know I wouldn’t spend almost 2 years with Valeri for fun

 

[irichluck21]

She ran out of time unfortunately.
That said, she intends to continue toward Los Angeles, so not the last of her.
I hope she goes for 2025 Worlds.

 

[tempest]

I would love for her to go to worlds in 2025, she could be AA champion

 

[Alinxz23]

But a realistic one

Meh to go back training to that level for sponsorship isn't making sense.

 

[flappergirl]

People always misunderstand my motivations, so I never feel right speculating about other people’s, especially when I don’t even know them.

 

[crdubb17]

I’m so disappointed by this decision. I was hoping she would push through just to shut the ignorance up. Unfortunately that didn’t happen: people are still all over the internet with foolish takes.

We’re really thinking she’s been training for two years at the ELITE level for a Dr. Scholl’s sponsorship?! The woman physically looks stronger than she ever has, but it was all for show? We have no clue where her money is coming from, what she’s invested. We know nothing about this woman’s life. And it’s literally nobody’s business. But here we are again with the disrespect. And to be honest, had she made the team there would still be all sorts of discourse towards her so it is what it is.

Anyway, I’m glad I got to see her last month at American Classic! She’s still world class.

 

[lovegymnasts]

She had a real comeback. She came back to gymnastics, trained for two years, competed elite routines on all four events at American Classic and qualified to Nationals on three events. That's a comeback.

She competed on more apparatus than Chellsie Memmel did in her comeback in 2021, was that not a real comeback? Memmel never even qualified herself to Nationals on any events, she had to petition to compete anything at Nationals.

Why is Memmel's comeback legitimate but Douglas' is somehow fake?

Douglas scored 14.0 on VT with a DTY at Classic, Chusovitina can't put up numbers that high on VT, is Chuso's comeback fake too?

What exactly is the scoring threshold where someone's gymnastics gets to count as real? Emma Malabuyo just qualifed to the Olympics with an AA score that was less than what Douglas put up at Am Classic. Is her comeback fake?

Argued against Chelsea being given special treatment too. She did not deserve to be at Nationals. Again, people were giving the same arguments about her as they did/are doing about Gabby with the same inflated expectations.
This is a sport; even playing field; everyone should be held to the same rules. If not then I will have something to say.

 

[dweiss324]

Screw the foot cream endorsements, she could sell popcorn on this thread alone and make a living wage.

 

[rlayt]

 

[Doug1233]

I think she initially did plan a real comeback. Who learns (or re-learns) el-grip pirouettes for fun?

This was a 100% real comeback. Anyone who thinks otherwise is stupid.

 

[BB12]

Argued against Chelsea being given special treatment too. She did not deserve to be at Nationals. Again, people were giving the same arguments about her as they did/are doing about Gabby with the same inflated expectations.
This is a sport; even playing field; everyone should be held to the same rules. If not then I will have something to say.

At least with her not competing at nationals means there also won't be the cries about her not being given a trials spot like there was with Chelsea (and Morgan).

Maybe Gabby would have put up two days of 3 events worthy of being invited but I'm just glad I won't have to experience the discourse around it. Hopefully we see her strong and healthy for a chance at World's next year.

 

[Denn]

The moderators can see deleted posts. I think some people are really struggling with this thread. Understandable...

I fear I'm not going to make it easier, though, when I say this: is this ankle injury really the reason she's not doing US Nationals? We just saw her quit three other apparatus 2 weeks ago after struggling a bit on bars. That sort of looked like she couldn't handle lesser levels of success — because, frankly, making US Nationals after not competing 8 years is a success.

 

[RichardL]

I don't think the comeback was fake; clearly Gabby was capable of doing elite quality routines in practice. But, I still find her whole comeback bizarre, many of her decisions questionable, and the fact that people were putting her on the olympic team without ever seeing a routine strange. I think it's reaching to assume that everyone questioning this comeback, or wanting to see routines before putting someone on an olympic team thinks the whole thing was fake or a publicity stunt.

She was capable of doing elite quality routines in competition. We saw her qualify to Nationals on three events. Those routines were conducted in front of judges and not in practice. What is this?