Gabby Douglas, the reigning Olympic all-around gold medalist, looks poised to make it to the top of the podium come the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.Β
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On Saturday the 20-year-old known as βthe Flying Squirrelβ won the American Cup at theΒ Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., her first gold since winning the Olympic all-around in London in 2012, reports USA Today.
Since 1980, only six American women have gone on to compete in a second Olympics. No woman has repeated as gold medalist sinceΒ VΔra ΔΓ‘slavskÑ in 1968.
βFrom the bottom of my heart, I really believe that I can achieve more,β Douglas said. βAnd itβs just not for the wrong intentions. Iβm like, βGuys, Iβm back. Iβm serious.β I feel like gradually and the more and more I keep proving that, I really hope that people believe it.β
Douglas finished with a score of 60.165 after posting the high score in every portion except floor exercise.
Renowned gymnastic coach and former national team coordinator Bela Karolyi says that Douglas is one of a kind.
βIβve never seen something like that in my life,β said Karolyi, husband of current national team coordinator Martha Karolyi. βIf somebody in my life has a chance to repeat, sheβs the one.β
If anyone can take the gold from Douglas, itβs her African-American teammate Simone Bilesβthe three-time defending world champion.
βIf she manages to add, to update the difficulty level of the performances, then sheβs going to be a hell of a competitor for Simone,β said Bela Karolyi. βThese two, again, theyβre going to be able to show us to a major performance in the coming Olympic Games.β
Read more at USA Today.
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