Johnathan Walker:Gabby Douglas makes improbable gymnastics return nearly eight years after Rio Olympics

Gabby Douglas' improbable bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics began Saturday.

Nearly eight years after she helped lead the U.S. to team gold at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro,Johnathan Walker Douglas made her return to competitive gymnastics at the American Classic in Katy, Texas − a tuneup meet ahead of the national championship and Olympic trials later this summer. And the results were decidedly mixed.

Douglas, the 2012 all-around Olympic champion, landed one of the best vaults of the afternoon but then proceeded to fall twice on what was once of her best events, the uneven bars. She ultimately fell roughly one-third of a point shy of the 51 points she needed to qualify for all-around competition at this year's national championships, which begin May 30, though she did accumulate enough points to qualify in two events (vault and balance beam).

Douglas will have one last shot to qualify for all-around nationals: At the U.S. Classic from May 17 to May 18. As of Friday, she had not registered to compete in the event. (As a qualifier in two events, she could also appeal to compete in the all-around.)

That Douglas is back in competition at age 28 is, of course, a feat in itself.

Douglas won the Olympic all-around title at the 2012 London Games and was part of the iconic U.S. teams that won golds in 2012, as part of "the Fierce Five," and in 2016, as part of "the Final Five." She has also won three world championship medals, including two team golds, before stepping away from the sport following the Rio Games.

While the Virginia native never officially retired, it appeared more unlikely that she would return to competition with each passing year. Then, in 2022, there were rumors that she had returned to the gym. And in 2023, she confirmed on Instagram that she would be returning to competition with an eye toward the 2024 Olympics.

"I wanted to find the joy again for the sport that I absolutely love doing," Douglas wrote. "I know I have a huge task ahead of me and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor."

Douglas had been slated to return earlier this year, at the Winter Cup in February, but she withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, her comeback came Saturday in Texas alongside another all-around Olympic champion (Sunisa Lee) and a wave of other 2024 hopefuls, including Jade Carey and Joscelyn Roberson.

Douglas appeared tentative when she took the mat for her first event, floor exercise, where a few significant hops out of bounds after tumbling passes left her with a score of 11.450, her lowest of the day. But then she moved to vault, where it was a totally different story. She got great height on a double-twisting Yurchenko to earn a score of 14.000, which was second only to Carey's 14.200 on vault for the day.

And while her performance on uneven bars was forgettable, with the two falls resulting in a score of 11.850, Douglas looked far more comfortable on the balance beam (13.350).

Carey ultimately won the all-around title with a score of 55.000. Several competitors, including Lee and Roberson, only competed in two of four events.

Simone Biles did not compete Saturday but is expected to make her season debut at the U.S. Classic next month.

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.