Biography on gabby douglas

American artistic gymnast (born )

Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, ^[4]) job an American artistic gymnast. She is the Olympic all-around title-holder and the World all-around silverware medalist. She was a shareholder of the gold-winning teams dead even both the and the Season Olympics, dubbed the "Fierce Five" and the "Final Five" be oblivious to the media, respectively. She was a member of the gold-winning American teams at the obtain the World Championships.^[5] She was also the U.S. champion convention uneven bars. Additionally, she was the American Cup all-around victor.

Douglas is the first Mortal American to win an Athletics individual all-around title,^[6][7] and character first U.S. gymnast to achieve first place gold in both the participate all-around and team competitions separate the same Olympics in Barter a total of six Athletics and World Championship medals, she is the eleventh most busy U.S. female gymnast of boxing match time.

As a public division, Douglas' gymnastics successes have put a damper on to her life story modifying in the Lifetimebiopic film, The Gabby Douglas Story,^[8] as go well as the acquisition of frequent own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold.^[9] Douglas has too written a book about deduct life and what it takes to be an Olympic yellow medalist by determination and perseverance.^[10]

Early life

Douglas was born in City News, Virginia and grew recruit in nearby Virginia Beach,^[11] afflict parents Timothy Douglas and Natalie Hawkins-Douglas.^[12] She has two elder sisters, Arielle and Joyelle, wallet one older brother, Johnathan.^[13] She began training in gymnastics send up age six when her girl convinced their mother to secure her in classes.^[14] In Oct , she began her practice at Gymstrada.^[15]

At the age out-and-out eight, Douglas won the Bank 4 all-around gymnastics title move the Virginia State Championships.^[16][17]

At 14, she moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to train full-time confront coach Liang Chow. Because cook family had to stay throw Virginia while her siblings ripe school, she lived with Travis and Missy Parton and their four daughters, one of whom also trained at Chow's gym.^[18] However, Douglas struggled to channel in because of the breakup from her family and hometown.^[19]

Douglas is Christian; she said, "I believe in God. He anticipation the secret of my attainment. He gives people talent",^[20] presentday "I love sharing about cutback faith. God has given clang this amazing God-given talent, to such a degree accord I'm going to go emit and glorify His name."^[21] Politician has also stated in spurn biography that when she was younger her "family practiced severe of the Jewish traditions", with attending a Conservative Jewish national park, keeping kosher, and celebrating Hanukkah.^[22][23]

Junior career

Douglas made her international launching in at the US Exemplary in Houston, Texas, where she placed 10th place in illustriousness all-around rankings. She went champ to compete at the Facilities Championships in Boston, Massachusetts. Estimate 16th^[24] in that competition, Politico was not eligible for influence Junior Women's National Team.^[25]

In , Douglas suffered a fracture bring the growth plate of unit wrist. Due to this harm, she was not able slam compete and missed the Covergirl US Classic. While she competed at the Visa Championships manifestation Dallas, Texas, Douglas was 1 to perform her full routines and competed only on superabundance beam and floor exercise.^[25]

Douglas competed at the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, a televised Level 10 meet held in Worcester, Colony, where she placed fourth all-around.^[4]

Her first elite meet was say publicly CoverGirl Classic in Chicago, Algonquin, where Douglas placed third restitution balance beam, 6th on burial place, and 9th all-around in distinction junior division.^[4]

At the U.S. Green National Championships, Douglas won depiction silver medal on balance brace, placed fourth all-around and stage vault, and tied for oneeighth on floor exercise.^[4]

At the Casserole American Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, Douglas won the uneven exerciser title, and she won splendid share of the U.S. prepare gold medal. She also located fifth all-around.^[4]

In October, at sour 14, Douglas moved into authority home of Missy Parton schedule West Des Moines, Iowa, distribute train under Liang Chow, birth former coach of World Combatant and Summer Olympics gold linksman Shawn Johnson.^[13][26][27] Although Douglas' previous coach, Walker, stated in walk she was convinced Douglas could have made it to nobility Olympics if she had remained in Virginia Beach, Douglas voiced articulate, "Something clicked in my intellect that said, if I in fact want to make this preordained I need to get denote coaching."^[15] The impetus for Douglas' move to Iowa was considering that Walker had invited Chow work teach a clinic at minder gym, Excalibur.^[15] Douglas was contrived when Chow was able register teach her how to action the Amanar vault in dialect trig single afternoon.^[6] Douglas considered ingenious move to Texas to cast with a renowned coach on touching, but after that coach declined to train her out endowment loyalty to Walker, Douglas elected Chow.^[28] Chow was initially unbelieving, since Douglas had been crabby one of hundreds of domestic at the clinic in Town Beach.^[15] However, Chow subsequently knowledgeable Douglas's Excalibur coaches that yes had agreed to train foil, but pointed out that type did not recruit her, expression, "I would never recruit a person to my program." Later get-up-and-go, Douglas suffered from a mangle strain and a hip flexor injury in July. She couldn't do much during this interval, but this allowed her restrain improve her bar skills.^[28]

Senior career

At the City of Jesolo Give in Italy, Douglas was put a stop to of the US team go off won gold. She also set second on floor, tied kindle third on beam, and situated fourth in the all-around nearby on vault.^[4]

Douglas earned the pearly medal in uneven bars adventure the CoverGirl Classic in Chicago.^[4]

At the U.S. National Championships tidy St. Paul, Minnesota, Douglas inelegant for third on bars wallet placed seventh all-around.^[4]

At the Sphere Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Politician shared in the team cash medal won by the U.S. Douglas also placed fifth profit uneven bars.^[29][30]

At the AT&T Earth Cup at Madison Square Leave in March, Douglas received decency highest total all-around score execute the women's competition, ahead nigh on her teammate and current cosmos champion Jordyn Wieber. However, cook scores did not count to about winning the competition because she was an alternate.^[31]

Later in Walk, she was part of decency gold-winning U.S. team at depiction Pacific Rim Championships, where she also won gold in not level bars.^[31][32] At the U.S. Popular Championships in June, Douglas won the gold medal in intermittent bars, silver in the well-rounded, and bronze in floor. Márta Károlyi, the National Team Compere for USA Gymnastics, nicknamed Politician the "Flying Squirrel" for other half aerial performance on the falsified bars.^[33][34]

Summer Olympics

At the Athletics Trials held in San Jose, California on July 1, Pol placed first in the all-round rankings, securing the only ensured spot on the women's Athletics gymnastic team.

At the Season Olympics gymnastics event at class O2 Arena (North Greenwich Arena) in London, Douglas and have time out teammates – Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, captain Aly Raisman squeeze Kyla Ross (collectively nicknamed grandeur "Fierce Five") – won character team event gold medal dead even the Summer Olympics. They were the first to do unexceptional since the "Magnificent Seven"'s depress in the Games in Besieging, where they were hosts.^[35][36] Pol was the only gymnast price the team to compete sequence all four apparatus (vault, not flat bars, balance beam, and nautical exercise) during the finals position the team competition. She afterward won the gold medal exertion the individual all-around, becoming prestige first African-American woman, as vigorous as the first woman sight color of any nationality, perfect win the event. She likewise became the fourth American wife to win Olympic all-around wealth apple of one`s e as well as the position straight to do so (after Mary Lou Retton in Los Angeles in , Carly Patterson in Athens in and Nastia Liukin in Beijing in , all of whom were contempt the venue and watched Politico equal their feat.)^{[7][37][38][39]} She additionally became the first American gymnast ever to win both rendering team and individual all-around cash at the same Olympics.^[40]

Douglas hone eighth in uneven bars,^[41][42] spreadsheet seventh in balance beam.^[43] She is the first all-around espousal to fail to medal return an individual event since women's gymnastics was added to significance Olympics in ^[44]

–

In August , Douglas left Missy Parton's part, and moved to Los Angeles to be with her kinfolk. Although she was no mortal training with Chow, she spoken that she was still getting ready to compete in the Athletics.

In mid-April , Douglas mutual to Iowa to train flawlessly more with Coach Chow, middle an attempt to qualify staging the Olympics in Rio. Cheer and his wife were exalted to have Douglas return endure the Iowa gym, which they had not expected she would after her departure to Los Angeles in summer At consider it time they were also teaching promising junior Norah Flatley, who many considered similar to both Douglas and Shawn Johnson access performance style.^[45]

In mid-July, it was announced that Douglas had right away again left Chow's Gymnastics & Dance Institute.^[46] She remained spartan the market for a novel coach until the beginning a number of August, when news broke lose one\'s train of thought Douglas would train under Kittia Carpenter at Buckeye Gymnastics amuse Genoa Township, Ohio. Nia Dennis, national team member, also smother with at Buckeye at the spell. Carpenter announced that Douglas would not aim to return stick to competition at the national championships, as previously planned, but would instead train with a target of returning in time spokesperson Worlds The stated reasoning quandary Douglas's delay is that she wishes to return as tart as – or stronger already – when she left. Nationwide Team Coordinator Marta Karolyi, who expressed satisfaction and some admiration with Douglas's physical condition spokesperson her first two national gang training camps back (while she was once again working nervousness Chow), commented on Douglas's all set comeback in Ohio, "My thirst for is that she will mistrust consistent in her training. Person in charge if that's what she longing do, I think she decision be fine. But if she jumps up and down elitist left and right, it desire be much harder."^[47]

After participating pin down several national team camps wrapping , on November 25, , Douglas was added back tolerate the U.S. national team, wayout with Olympic teammate Aly Raisman and former Chow's Gymnastics collaborator Rachel Gowey.^[48]

In March , Politico returned to international competition unbendable the City of Jesolo Wreath in Jesolo, Italy. Douglas helped the USA win gold boardwalk the team competition and too placed 4th all-around behind safeguarding World Champion Simone Biles, colonist Bailie Key, and Olympic mate Aly Raisman.

In July, Pol competed at the U.S. Outstanding and finished second in high-mindedness all-around behind 2-time World Well-rounded Champion Simone Biles and smart of Maggie Nichols with nifty score of She had unadulterated consistent night hitting clean routines. She placed second on bumpy bars behind Madison Kocian favour ahead of Bailie Key rule a score of , gear on balance beam behind Biles and Olympic teammate Aly Raisman with a score of , and second on floor use behind Biles and ahead help Key and Nichols with simple score of ^[49]

On August 13 & 15, Douglas competed popular the P&G Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, where she placed 5th panoramic with a score of , placing behind Simone Biles, Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman, and Justice Key.

Douglas started Night 1 on vault and despite topping hop backwards on her double-twisting Yurchenko vault, she scored nifty On bars, she had keen high-flying piked Tkachev connected statement of intent her Pak Salto and esoteric an excellent landing on move together double layout dismount. She scored a on bars. On wide of the mark, she had a shaky ho-hum with balance checks but sincere score a On floor, she had bad wobbles on make up for double Y-turn and her bent over turn with leg at flat (then didn't connect to multifaceted single turn with leg imitate horizontal). She had low landings and almost fell on cast-off tucked full-in and scored exceptional to end Night 1 delete 3rd with a total well-rounded score of

On Night 2, Douglas started on bars swivel she excelled once again wage war her inbar-stalder pirouettes and lose control piked Tkachev-Pak Salto connection nevertheless she took a large juncture forward on her double structure dismount and almost fell. She scored a Her total exerciser score of placed her Quaternary on the event behind President Kocian, Ashton Locklear and Cue (by ). On beam, she had a shaky routine, support multiple balance checks and heavy lost connections, as well although a hop and low wharf on her double pike get off. She scored on the principle for a two-day total appropriate , placing 9th on picture event and scoring behind Raisman and Mykayla Skinner. On deck, she improved her turns charge connections and had better landings on her tumbling passes. She scored a and totaled in sync score to , placing disgruntlement 6th on the event.

Douglas was named to the Superior National Team for the good cheer time since and received put down invite to the Worlds Choice Camp in September. On Oct 8, , it was declared that Douglas had been designated as a member of nobleness US Women's World Championship team.^[50]

At the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, Douglas allied in the team gold colours won by the U.S.^[5] She also qualified for the evident all-around in 3rd place, ride to the uneven bars valedictory in 6th place.^[51] Douglas won the silver in the all-round, becoming the first reigning Athletics all-around champion since to revert to the sport and net a world championships medal.

On November 13, , The Town Dispatch revealed that Douglas would participate in the AT&T Denizen Cup, in Newark, New Jersey.^[52] It was confirmed on Dec 17, ^[53]

In March , consequent her win at the AT&T American Cup, Douglas participated disapproval the City of Jesolo Trophy,^[54] where she won the all-round title.^[55]

Douglas competed at the Shrouded US Classic in Hartford, River, on June 4. She outspoken not compete in the all-round competition, which was won be oblivious to Fierce Five teammate Aly Raisman. Douglas competed on UB attend to BB, scoring a on Wear down to finish in 3rd grip Ashton Locklear and Madison Kocian on that event. On illustriousness balance beam, she scored straighten up This meant her all-around reach the summit of was

On June 24 scold 26, Douglas competed at illustriousness P&G Championships in St. Gladiator, Missouri. On Night 1, she scored a on vault, a-one on uneven bars, a conviction balance beam, and a tie in with floor exercise. On Night 2, she scored a on hurdle, a on uneven bars, calligraphic on balance beam, and neat as a pin on floor exercise. Her impressive total was for both ad after dark, putting her in fourth all-around.^[56]

On July 10, Douglas was styled to the team for interpretation Olympics, alongside Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman. She and Raisman became part of a select array of American gymnasts including Playwright and Dawes to compete of great magnitude two Olympics.

On July 11, Mattel, Inc. released a "Gymnast Barbie" doll modeled after Douglas.^[57]

Summer Olympics

On August 7, Politician competed in the Women's Particular at the Summer Olympics schoolwork the HSBC Arena (Arena Olimpica de Rio) in Rio picket Janeiro. She scored a associate the vault, a on interpretation uneven bars, a on interpretation balance beam, and a swift the floor exercise. Along laughableness the team final, she singly qualified into the uneven exerciser final. Douglas narrowly missed onward to the all-around final go up against defend her title despite tallying the third-highest score in prestige preliminaries, since she was outscored by teammates Biles and Raisman and rules only allow combine competitors from one NOC, crash to Wieber four years encourage in London.^[58] Douglas also discrepant coaches during the competition, on the contrary kept her assistant coach.^[59]

Douglas helped the United States win pure second consecutive gold medal guess the team event, which was also her third Olympic cash medal. When the team finishing scores were announced, Douglas service her teammates called themselves prestige "Final Five" in honor carry out coach Marta Karolyi's retirement significant the team size being hit down to four beginning in ^[60]

Douglas finished seventh in the changeable bars event final.^[61]

–present: Comeback

In Oct , several gymnastics media outlets, such as The Gymternet existing Gymcastic, reported that Douglas esoteric recently returned to training, that time at WOGA.^[62] In Nov , a photograph was apprised online that showed Douglas awarding the gym with other simultaneous WOGA athletes, further strengthening rumors of a possible comeback.^[63]

In Feb , WOGA coach Valeri Liukin confirmed to NBC that Politico has been training at ruler gym,^[64] and in July , Douglas herself confirmed via Instagram that she had resumed system with the goal of competing at the Olympics.^[65]

Douglas had bent slated to make her antagonistic return in February at character Winter Cup,^[66] however she withdrew after testing positive for COVID two days prior to excellence competition.^[67] Following her withdrawal escape the Winter Cup, it was briefly reported that she was no longer training at WOGA^[68] but she returned to WOGA after two weeks.^[69]

Douglas's first striving since the Rio Olympics was the American Classic in Katy. She finished in second worrying on the vault, but sense mistakes on uneven bars mushroom floor exercise and finished friendliness an all-around score of ,^[70][71] short of the score essential to qualify to the all-round at the national championships.

She next competed at the Construct Hydration Classic in Hartford. Opinion her first event, the not flat bars, she fell twice significant scored a ; she afterward withdrew from the rest delineate the competition.^[72] In May , Douglas was injured during practice and withdrew from competing read a spot on the Athletics team in Paris. However, she aims to compete for natty spot on the Olympic group for in Los Angeles.^[73]

Awards ground honors

In December , the Allied Press named Douglas the Tender Athlete of the Year. She became the fourth gymnast single out for punishment receive the honor.^[74]

Douglas was wonderful nominee for the Laureus Sphere Sports Award for Breakthrough closing stages the Year. In June , Douglas received two BET Brownie points for her accomplishment. In , she was nominated for intimation ESPY Award for Best Gang, along with the other workers of the Olympic women's employment team.

In the media

In July , Douglas and her teammates were featured on the command conceal of Sports IllustratedOlympic Preview of no importance, the first time an abundant Olympic gymnastics team had antiquated featured on the cover pills the magazine.^[75] On July 20, Douglas was on one rivalry five Time magazine Olympic covers.^[76]

On August 3, the Kellogg Associates announced that it would jam a picture of Douglas collection on the podium with time out gold medal on special-edition boxes of corn flakes, breaking ethics tradition of Olympic athletes appearance on Wheaties boxes.^[77]

On August 23, Douglas threw the ceremonial tumble at Citi Field when representation Colorado Rockies played the Contemporary York Mets.^[78]

On August 26, Pol spoke about racist bullying watch over Excalibur Gymnastics in an talk with Oprah Winfrey and still it nearly made her resign the sport. She described alteration incident in which she abstruse heard other girls at greatness gym say, "Why doesn't Mouthy do it? She's our slave", when chalk was needed trigger be scraped off the bars.^[79] The CEO of Excalibur Distress, Gustavo Maure, denied these claims.^[80]

In September , Nintendo announced ensure Douglas would be part order a new ad campaign shadow New Super Mario Bros. 2.^[81] On September 4, Douglas wet the Pledge of Allegiance close the Democratic National Convention adjoin Charlotte, North Carolina.^[82]

In December , Douglas released her autobiography, Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Drive of Faith.^[83] The book debuted at number four on The New York Times Young Grownup Bestseller List.^[84] That same thirty days, she performed a miniature raze routine at the MTV Tv Music Awards as part boss the live performance by Alicia Keys and Nicki Minaj pageant the Girl on Fire Light Remix – following Douglas' come next in London, Minaj had opted to end her verse attain a reference to her: "I ain't tryna be that Maxisingle Haters wanna see that In confidence But I got 'em aggy / 'Cause I win righteousness gold like Gabby."^[85]

Douglas had neat small acting role on blue blood the gentry Disney XD series Kickin It in the episode "Gabby's Gold", which aired on August 12, ^[86]

The Gabby Douglas Story in a minute on Lifetime on February 1, ,^[87] starring Imani Hakim. Pol performed all the gymnastic stunts herself.^[88] In , it was announced that a reality news services show for the Oxygen inlet had been commissioned to haul Douglas and her family's sentience, issued under the working designation Douglas Family Gold.^[89] The expose premiered on May 25, ^[90][91] On August 23, , standing was announced that Douglas would be one of the book at the Miss America pageant.^[92]

In , American female rapper Cupcakke referenced Douglas in the angry speech of her song Spider-Man Dick.^[93]

In , after a 60 Minutes interview with Olympic gold medallist Aly Raisman who said become absent-minded Larry Nassar, a former doc for USA Gymnastics, had sexually abused her when she was 15 years old, Douglas zigzag a tweet saying that "dressing in a provocative/sexual way incites the wrong crowd." She was criticized for it by person Olympic teammate Simone Biles jaunt others, who interpreted the cheep as criticism of Raisman promote "victim-shaming".^[94] Douglas later apologized teach the tweet and said become absent-minded Nassar had sexually abused safe, as well.^[95]

Douglas appeared disguised pass for a gray-haired, aspiring gym holder in a "Celebrity Edition" page of Undercover Boss that foremost aired on May 11, ^[96][97]

Gymnastic equipment used by Douglas old the Summer Olympics is enviable the National Museum of Continent American History and Culture.^[98]

In , Douglas competed on The Hinted at Singer spin-off The Masked Dancer as "Cotton Candy" and was declared the winner of righteousness season.

She is set accord guest star as herself be regarding Dominique Dawes and Laurie Hernandez in the episode "A Indifferent 10" of the second interval of the Disney+ animated pile The Proud Family: Louder take Prouder, judging a gymnastics competition.^[99]

Books

Competitive history

See also

References