Gabby Douglas, the former Olympic gymnastics hero who left Rio on a low, said that illness kept her from joining teammates Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards
Gabby Douglas
New York: Gabby Douglas, the former Olympic gymnastics hero who left Rio on a low, said that illness kept her from joining teammates Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Gabby Douglas
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Douglas had been due to appear with the rest of the "Final Five" US gymnasts to present the award for Best Female Video -- for which, aptly, there were five nominees. But the 20-year-old posted on Instagram a photo of herself under a blanket in what looked like a New York hotel room, explaining why she could not take part in the gala at Madison Square Garden. "Out of hospital & resting comfortably! FinalFive so sad I can't be with u all to present tonight," she wrote.
Teammate Simone Biles, whose triumph in Rio came to overshadow Douglas, acknowledged her teammate when presenting the award and said, "Feel better, Gabby!" Douglas became the first African American to win the Olympic title in London in 2012 and the first US gymnast to claim both the team and all-around gold medals in a single Games.
But in Rio she finished seventh in the eight-woman uneven bars final. She has said she was distraught by negative comments about her online, including over her hairstyle. The gymnasts were not the only Olympians at the awards. Swimmer Michael Phelps -- the most decorated Olympic athlete in history with 28 medals, including 23 golds -- introduced the rapper Future whom he called an inspiration. Beyonce dominated the Video Music Awards with a near-record eight wins.
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