At 16 years old, Douglas stole viewers’ hearts worldwide as she made history. She became the first Black gymnast to win gold in the Olympic all-around event at the 2012 London Games. While there, she also became the first American gymnast to earn gold in the individual all-around event and the team competition. The gymnast followed up with another iconic victory at the Rio 2016 Olympics, winning a third gold medal in the team competition before taking a break from the sport. But, like many highly visible Black women athletes, Douglas received so much online bullying and hate about her appearance that she chose to step away from the spotlight. After an eight-year hiatus, the champion hoped her return to the mat would be at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But, an ankle injury caused Douglas to miss the Olympic trials in June.
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