Daily Archives: May 17, 2024

1. Shawn Johnson excited for Simone Biles' return at Paris Olympics following 2021 twisties: 'The best forever'  Fox News
2. What does Gabby Douglas' comeback mean to the sport?  ESPN
3. Gabby Douglas, Olympic gymnastics champion, going out on her terms  USA TODAY

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Shawn Johnson excited for Simone Biles' return at Paris Olympics following 2021 twisties: 'The best forever' - Fox News

Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed reservations about a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

The proposal, first mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron and later discussed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to halt hostilities during the Games.

Zelensky told the online news site Ukrainska Pravda on Friday that the details of the initiative were not clear to him.

He highlighted the risks of Russia potentially using the ceasefire to move military equipment closer to Ukraine then.

Zelensky raised the question of "who will ensure that their forces do not advance towards us during a ceasefire?

"So I don't understand the details. It sounds like a non-viable story to me so far."

Putin, returning from a state visit to China, acknowledged that Xi had brought up the ceasefire idea but did not elaborate further.

However, he criticized the West for demanding that Russia adhere to an Olympic truce while excluding Russian athletes from the Games.

Moscow had also previously expressed doubts about such an initiative, as Ukraine could use the period of the Games to further arm its armed forces and regroup for war.

After Macron brought up the idea earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said there were no concrete proposals from Paris on how to proceed.

More:

Zelensky and Putin react to Paris Olympics ceasefire proposal - Yahoo! Voices

Therell be no lovemaking in the City of Love.

Anti-sex beds have arrived in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, with their materials and small size allegedly aimed at deterring athletes from getting kinky during the competition.

The beds twin size means theres no room for the competitors to sidle up together.

The beds are manufactured by Airweave, which also made the products for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

According to Inside the Games, sustainability is cited as the primary reason why Olympic officials opted for the beds this year.

The mattresses and cardboard frames are 100% recyclable.

I hope that Paris 2024s efforts to reduce its impact will show that it is possible to do things differently, Georgina Grenon, director of environmental excellence for the organizing committee, stated, per the publication.

Over the years, stories about wild sex occurring among Olympic athletes have abounded in the media.

Table tennis player Matthew Syed previously told the Times of London that he had a debaucherous time at the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain, saying: I got laid more often in those two and a half weeks than in the rest of my life.

At the 2012 games in London, one anonymous athlete admitted to having a foursome with a male teammate and two women at the Olympic Village, according to the Mirror.

However, its unlikely cardboard beds will stop the horny Olympians from fornicating, with one competitor claiming a hot tub orgy took place one year.

The Mirror also cites a US two-time gold medalist as saying: Ive seen people having sex right out in the open. On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty.

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'Anti-sex' beds have arrived at Paris Olympics after horny athletes admit to orgies amid competition - New York Post

Jon Urbanchek, a Hungarian immigrant who became a revered swimming coach in the United States and guided 44 swimmers to the Olympics, where they won 21 medals, 11 of them gold, died on May 9 in hospice care at his home in Fullerton, Calif. He was 87.

Jack Roach, a close friend and fellow coach, said the cause was complications of Parkinsons disease.

Urbanchek mainly made his name at the University of Michigan pool, where he coached the mens swim team from 1982 to 2004 and led it to 13 Big Ten Conference titles, including 10 in a row at one point, and the 1995 N.C.A.A. championship.

In all, his Michigan swimmers earned 315 All-America honors.

Michigan was like a freight train, Urbanchek told The Orange County Register in California in 2012. By the mid-80s, we built a freight train people jump on, they get off and new kids jump on. The machine was going constantly.

He served on the coaching staffs of six United States Olympic teams, from 1988 to 2012, and was a technical adviser to U.S.A. Swimming, the national governing body, from 2018 to 2020.

The part that made him special is that he found a way to get the best out of you while still encouraging you to enjoy the process, Lindsay Mintenko, managing director of the national team at U.S.A. Swimming, said in a phone interview.

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Jon Urbanchek, Who Led Swimmers to Olympic Glory, Dies at 87 - The New York Times

This article was produced byNational Geographic Traveller (UK).

Pinned by the Eiffel Tower, threaded by the Seine and punctuated by grand gardens that are multiplying as part of the citys bid to become one of Europes greenest, Paris is among the worlds most impressive destinations. Here are 17 ways to discover the City of Lights this summer.

Battery-powered cars have become an increasingly popular sight in Paris over the last decade all part of the citys plan to outlaw all but e-vehicles by 2030. In a vintage Renault 4L, retrofitted by tour company 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie with a specially designed battery, you can slip silently between the honey-coloured apartments and cast iron balconies of the eighth arrondissement, the vast alabaster arch of the Arc de Triomphe and the broad, latticed feet of the Eiffel Tower, close enough to see the cogs rotating. This year, it will have been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympics in 1924, and the tower is being repainted gold closer to the colour Gustave Eiffel originally chose to mark the occasion.

Off Paris Seine is one of few ways travellers can live on the water in the city.

Photograph by Ludivine Le Cornec (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Nicolas Anetson (Bottom) (Right)

(Paris is going electric for a new perspective on the city, take a low-carbon car tour.)

July to September, Paris embraces beach mode, carving out waterfront stretches of its emblematic river and canals for temporary urban beaches - complete with deckchairs, potted palm trees, ice-cream sellers and entertainment. At Htel de Ville (City Hall), quays along the Seine between Pont dArcole and Pont Neuf buzz with outdoor, family-friendly action such as a mini via ferrata, football, giant chess, plus sun-loungers between potted palm trees and ptanque. Across the water on the left bank, soak up urban beach life on the stretch of beach between Pont dAlma and Pont de la Concorde. The Paris Plages prime swimming hub is Bassin de la Villette - until 2025, when three open-water swimming spots will open for summers in the Seine: at Bras Marie beneath Pont Marie (4e), by the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir footbridge in Bercy (12e), and at Port de Grenelle (15e).

Moored at the foot of the Gare dAusterlitz in central Paris, bobbing gently in the wake of each passing barge, Off Paris Seine offers one of the very few ways in the city to live the life aquatic. Lying low on the surface of the water low enough for the rivers waves to wash against the walls the 58 floating rooms here face the city or the Seine, taking inspiration from the natural setting with plenty of warm woods, and accenting them with bright pops of gold and neon orange. The latter takes a maximalist turn in the designer Sunset suite, where everything, from the four-poster bed to the bathtub, is the same vibrant tangerine hue. Come the evening, enjoy a plate of roast octopus with pepper cream beside the pool on the sheltered restaurant terrace, close enough to the water to see shoals of tiny fish rippling across the surface, and watch the tales of the riverbank unfold. From 230 (197) for a quay-view double, B&B.

No licence is needed to take in the beauty of the city from an electric boat.

Photograph by Marin deau Douche

Life moves slowly on the banks of the Bassin de la Villette. The largest artificial lake in Paris a former industrial port 20 minutes walk northeast of the Gare de lEst is a place where cormorants bob atop yellow buoys and pet dogs trot in the shade of tall trees. Parisians come here to practice their ptanque and picnic on crusty baguette, legs dangling over the edge of the water. One of the best ways to take it all in is out on the water in an electric boat. From Marin DEau Douces marina on its southern end, you can journey north at barely walking pace, your soundtrack the lapping of the waves, the distant clinking of glasses and the tinny music of the carousel that sometimes appears on its banks. Youll know when youve reached the Parc de la Villette, with its metallic orb-shaped cinema, and the Canal de LOurcq, the banks of which form an al fresco gallery for street artists. Three hours e-boat rental for five from 110 (94); no licence required.

Its late summer and the sun is filtering through the clouds, spotlighting the bathers snoozing in their deckchairs in fluffy, white bathrobes, as swimmers paddle languidly back and forth.The frenetic pace of the city slows in the 16th arrondissement beside the pool of the Molitor, sheltered from the street on all sides by its tall, canary-yellow walls. When it opened in 1929, it was much as it is now: a place where Parisians could escape and sip glasses of Chablis between the palms part urban oasis, part social club.

All sorts of events, from artists galas to beauty contests, were held here. At one time, a tobacconist and even a hair salon fringed its borders. It was known for being an avant-garde place. Perhaps most famously, French designer Louis Rard unveiled the first bikini here in 1946. His design was considered so scandalous that no model would wear it, so he had to turn to an exotic dancer for its poolside debut.

When it opened in 1929, the Molitor was a place where Parisians could escape and sip glasses of Chablis between the palms now it sits within a hotel.

Photograph by Sebastien Giraud, Alamy

But by the 1970s, cracks began to show literally, with chlorine eroding the concrete. The pool closed in 1989, no longer able to fund its vision of extravagant lifestyle, and graffiti artists washed in as its waters drained away. For years, the Molitor lay derelict a landmark transformed into a backdrop for underground raves. But its story didnt end there.

By 2014, it was restored and reopened its doors as a hotel. Those same artists that had instilled beauty into its earlier neglect were invited back, this time to add the finishing touches to the lobby where a graffiti-splashed Rolls-Royce now sits and wall murals.

There are 124 rooms, designed to emulate the feel of an ocean liner; portholes overlook the watery scene below, with the swimmers, snoozers and croque monsieur-ers. After the piscine was rebuilt, it made its Hollywood debut in The Life of Pi. And with bikinis back at the Molitor, the Parisians flooded back, too. Doubles from 330 (283), B &B. Day pass, including room access, from 290 (248) for two.

Piscine Josphine Baker

Swim on the river rather than in it at this pool, named after the legendary Jazz Age performer. Its set on a permanently moored barge, floating on the Seine in the 13th arrondissement not far from the Bastille. The glass roof retracts in good weather, allowing for sunbathing on deck. Alongside the main pool, theres a paddling pool for children, as well as solariums, saunas, a gym and changing rooms.

Piscine Roger le Gall

To the east of the capital, in the 12th arrondissement, the 164ft Roger Le Gall pool is part of a sports complex, with a retractable roof so that swimming becomes al fresco on sunny summer days. Its named after a French resistance fighter, and has rolling lawns for sunbathing and dedicated sessions each month for naturists.

Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles

One of Pariss rare listed pool complexes, Butte-aux-Cailles in the southern 13th arrondissement opened its doors in 1924. The main indoor pool still has its art deco arches, while there are also two outdoor ones. Theyre all open year-round, kept warm at a toasty 28C thanks to the complexs natural sulphur spring.

Tour guide Ana Gimena takes visitors on a historical excursion of the city, concluding in the garden of the Petit Palais.

Photograph by Amelia Duggan (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Ludovic Balay, Getty Images (Bottom) (Right)

Its easy to slip back in time in Paris; pockets of the gilded belle epoque have been preserved throughout the city centre, casting a spell on most who walk the capitals streets. This golden age of bohemia, optimism and technological progress flourished in the peaceful years between 1871 and the start of the Second World War. To find its legacy, you need only pay a visit to restaurants like Bouillon Chartier, a timewarp workers bistro built with breathtaking flamboyance in 1896, where tables are shared and uniformed waiters still tally the bill on the tablecloth. The Grand Palais, Alexandre III Bridge, Muse dOrsay and Galeries Lafayette are products of this period, too.

Many walking tours cater for those wanting to immerse themselves in the era; family-friendly guide Ana Gimena dresses for the era on her tours around the galleries of the Petit Palais and the esplanades around the Seine. Or try the Visit Montmartre with Hysterical Feminists tour by Feminists in the City to learn the stories of embattled and half-forgotten female figures from the gilded period.

(Does Paris's belle poque appeal live up to the hype?)

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Impressionism in the city where it all began. Monet, Czanne, Bonnard and many more ventured to the French capital to find inspiration in its skies and landscapes. A stroll along the Seine, along with a visit to the Gardens of Versailles, Tuileries Garden and Luxembourg Gardens will provide great backgrounds for a painting session with Rola Cusson, a tour guide and art teacher with a studio on La Grande Jatte the setting of Seurats 1884 painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. For contemporary art, 59 Rivoli is a former artists squat-turned-gallery and exhibition space that hosts free concerts every Saturday and Sunday.

For a non-touristy Paris morning, stroll along the Seine's Left Bank and take in the half-mile outdoor gallery.

Photograph by Jonathan Stokes

Tracking down mosaics by Pariss anonymous street artist, Invader, means ducking and diving around streets, squares and courtyards off travellers usual radar. To add to the 23 million flashes validated since 2014, download the FlashInvaders app and snap each pixelated piece you find: space aliens inspired by the 1978 arcade game, but also pop culture figures such as Bugs Bunny, Cinderella, Mario, Picasso, Nina Simone. Score 100 points apiece with Pariss highest (on the Eiffel Tower), biggest (at Place Igor Stravinsky) and most recent (Invaders 1500th Parisian mosaic, atop a blue rooftop pipe at Centre Pompidou), which was erected in February 2024.

Stroll along the Seines Left Bank, between the Pont de Sully and Pont dAusterlitz bridges, and youll encounter an outdoor gallery stretching for almost half a mile along the waterfront. Opened in 1980, within the Jardin Tino Rossi, the Muse de la Sculpture en Plein Air is still in immaculate shape, displaying remarkably graffiti-free works by 20th-century artists including Csar, Constantin Brancusi, Nicolas Schffer and mile Gilioli. Some pieces are set proudly along the quayside, like oversized mooring posts, while others are weathering gently among the prettily planted gardens patchworked along the riverside, bothered only by the occasional jogger, dog walker and pedestrian commuter, plus a rare tourist or two.

Standout pieces include Demeurre 1, a bold, blackened bronze gathering of totemic structures created by Etienne Martin in the 1950s, and La Grande Fenetre, by Cuban artist Augustin Cardenas. The latter creates a gleaming white marble waterfront window through which to watch the open-roof bateaux mouche tourist boats chug by. On weekend evenings during the summer months, the sculptures become a backdrop for couples practising tango in the small amphitheatres carved into the Quai Saint-Bernard promenade.

New bike lanes in the city means getting around on two wheels might just rival the Nordics.

Photograph by Jonathan Stokes

With just over 250 miles of cycleways, including 75 miles of brand new lanes, linking the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde and other soon-to-be Olympic venues, exploring Paris by bike has never been so easy. Dedicated bike tracks link up with shared bike-bus lanes and car-free trails for use by both cyclists and pedestrians. The best routes include a loop along the Seine, taking in landmarks like the Louvre and Notre-Dame; a spin along Canal St-Martin, passing 19th-century locks and lift bridges; and an exhilarating urban route along Street Art Avenue to Frances national stadium in Saint-Denis.

The Friday Night Fever skate tour organised by the Pari Rollers association is one of the largest meetups of its kind in the world, offering rollerbladers a fun and fast-paced tour of the capital after dark. The weekly, 13-mile urban skate kicks off at Place Raoul Dautry, regularly attracting upwards of 800 participants, and is geared towards confident skaters rather than first-timers. The atmosphere is like a carnival: as well as impressive feats of skating by seasoned pros, theres music blaring from portable speakers, participants in fancy dress and even parents in the mix with off-road prams. Those who arent confident with rollerblading can join the cyclists, e-scooters and longboarders bringing up the rear of the procession or simply come to watch participants career along the Parisian streets.

(What it's like to party in the French capital with the Pari Rollers.)

The original High Line isnt in New York its in Paris. The Coule Verte Ren-Dumont, or Promenade Plante as its become known, was the worlds first elevated urban park when it opened in the late 1980s, transforming a disused railway viaduct into a linear garden of swaying trees, starlings and reflecting pools. Paris is planning to quite literally become one of Europes greenest capitals, with current mayor Anne Hidalgo promising a massive greening when she was elected, and the plan to plant 170,000 trees by 2026 underway. Simultaneously, attention has turned to La Petite Ceinture, another train line that was abandoned in the 20th century and still circles the city, with some very short stretches open to urban hikers. Parisians are divided on what to do with this ghost line, with some calling to preserve its biodiversity and open up the entire stretch to pedestrians though most of its length is still closed, in part due to still-active electrical lines. For now, while the authorities decide, the Little Belt runs in a broken circle, some of it used for flourishing community gardens and craft fairs, and the rest left to be reclaimed by nature.

(The 'original' High Line is in Paris here's why you should walk it.)

Paris' current mayor Anne Hidalgo made big promises of a massive greening if she was elected. Now the city hopes to be one of Europes greenest capitals.

Photograph by Jonathan Stokes (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Jonathan Stokes (Bottom) (Right)

The eighth-floor terrace of Pariss most venerable department store is where the capitals beautiful young things come to pose with cocktails in summer, backed by Galeries Lafayettes landmark cathedral-like glass dome. Among the sweeping city views, there are other knockouts, too: the Eiffel Tower, Sacr-Coeur and Notre-Dame can all be seen from up here. The terraces pop-up restaurant usually opens for the season around May and runs until the end of September. In previous years, its been hosted by socialite French chef Julien Sebbag, whose vegetarian small plates menu celebrates eastern-Med salads and focaccias such as the courgette-starring Summertime Sadness best paired with a spritz of prosecco, orange blossom, cognac and apricot liqueur.

Tuck into summers bounty of berries, beets and all other manner of fruits and veggies, freshly harvested from Europes largest urban rooftop farm, at Le Perchoir (The Perch) a plant-filled conservatory dining spot crowning Pavilion 6 of the exhibition centre Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The restaurant overlooks Nature Urbaine, a high-tech farm that provides fresh produce to the surrounding 15th arrondissement and some nearby hotels. Produce is grown using aeroponics a soil-free cultivation technique that can minimise irrigation creating an edible Eden in a sky-scraping urban space. Whats grown here enriches the menus at Le Perchoir, which is a hot ticket for DJ-led weekend brunches and cocktail-infused evenings. Order la haut (the top) with gin, citrus shrub, rosemary, Peychauds bitters and house tonic, alongside a summer vegetable vol au vent, and breathe in the heady scent of rooftop-grown herbs.

Galeries Lafayette is as much a Parisian landmark as the Arc De Triomphe, with the added experience of rooftop cocktails.

Photograph by Jonathan Stokes

Once home to Dali, Degas and Van Gough, Pariss bohemian hilltop Montmartre neighbourhood is also the site of the French capitals oldest vineyard. Wine production dwindled in the le-de-France after industrialisation in the 19th century and by the 1950s, Paris was all but shunned by viticulturalists. Today, however, the areas vines are seeing a resurgence. Free from additives, Montmartres grapes are harvested to great fanfare every October during the Fete du Vendanges, and are just one of a booming number of low-intervention wines now being made across the le-de-France. A walking tour of Montmartre with Paris Wine Walks can take vinophiles on a historical romp through the cobbled backstreets around the Sacre Coeur, with a finale tasting session of wines from independent vineyards in Paris and beyond.

(Winemaking in Paris is back, and you can discover its history in Montmartre.)

Book a meal at two-Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne, helmed by French chef Frdric Anton. The second-floor salon sits 410ft above ground, with five- and seven-course tasting menus that include indulgences like souffle of scallops with shellfish butter sauce, caviar and caramelised calf sweetbread.

Bite into the Jardin sur la Seine macaron, a raspberry confection laced with single-origin Millot Plantation Madagascar dark chocolate. Its an exclusive creation for Pariss Iron Lady, by chocolatier-patissiere Pierre Herm, available at the second floors lower-level macaron bar.

Celebrate Pariss seasonal produce, plucked from farms and kitchen gardens around the French capital, with chef Thierry Marxs informal menus at Madame Brasserie, on the towers first floor.

Have a chocolate ice cream, cocktail and more in the open-air Ferri Pavilion terrace on the first floor. Garden seating-style armchairs and sofas create a relaxed space with breezy views across the capital and classic French bistro food.

Get a glass of finest French fizz almost 1,000ft above Pariss streets in the towers little Champagne Bar. Its a bijou dispensary rather than a place to sit; the tipples can be paired with caviar if desired.

From elsewhere in the UK, there are dozens of flights per week to the French capital, including from Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.

To ride Pariss Metro, pick up a contactless Navigo travel card from a RATPsales office or other approved retailer, which offers daily or weekly passes for two travel zones, from 8.65 (7.40). Alternatively, theParis Visite Ticket, which covers zones one to three/one to five, costs from 13.95 (12)/29.25 (25) per day for unlimited travel.

To use Pariss increasing number of cycle lanes to get from A to B, hire a bike from the citys Velib bike-sharing stations.

When to go: Annual temperatures peak in July and August, with daytime highs of around 25C; the city can empty out during August, when locals tend to take summer holidays. Travel in spring or autumn for fewer crowds.

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Paris beyond the Olympics: 17 things to do in the French capital - National Geographic

The Spanish federation is trying to avoid a repeat of what happened with Pedri, who played in 2021 played in the UEFA Euro and the Olympic games one after the other. Many people blame Pedris hectic schedule for subsequent injuries.

Thus, its understood that for Barcelonas newest wunderkinds, they will only play one or the other tournament this year.

Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubars are expected to play only in the Euro, and to avoid playing in the Olympics.

Instead, the Barcelona players who could go for the gold in Paris this summer are Fermn Lpez and Eric Garcia, who is returning from loan to Girona.

However, Fermn still has chances to go to the Euros, having made the initial 57-man pre-list. If that were the case, he would likely not play in the Olympics. Garcia, for his part, will not be at the Euros, unless something changes.

Players who go to the Olympics will not be present in FC Barcelonas USA summer tour in June. However, players who participate in the Euros could be in the tour, if Spain does not make it all the way to the final.

Read this article:

Spain's plans with Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubars & Fermn Lpez for the Euros and Olympic Games - Barca Blaugranes

She also won gold medals both in 2012 and 2016 as part of the Fierce Five and Final Five of the US womens team in artistic gymnastics and nabbed the title of World All-Around silver medallist at the young age of 20.

Recently, she was the oldest gymnast at the US Winter Cup in February, and went head to head with Suni Lee and Simone Biles at the US Classic in May.

Her wins were not only milestone moments for the gymnast herself they marked a significant era in her sport. Douglas is the first African-American to take home the title of individual All-Around Champion at the Olympics and the only American at the time to also bring home the same title for team competitions in 2012.

So what else do we know about her?

Like many American athletes, the 28-year-olds success in the arena translated to fame in pop culture. In the tradition of American Olympians, Douglas appeared on the box of Kelloggs cornflakes cereal, inspiring a whole generation of gymnastic hopefuls.

Her first Olympic golds in London brought with her a slew of adoring fans, which ultimately led her to several projects beyond gymnastics. Her story was turned into a Lifetime film in 2014, dubbed The Gabby Douglas Story, which detailed her meteoric rise to success and the long, gruelling journey that led to it.

At the height of the reality TV era, Douglas also got a deal to star in her own television series, Douglas Family Gold. The show, which launched in 2016, was short-lived and didnt get picked up for a second season after the first six episodes.

But her quest to inspire young fans did not stop there. She penned a memoir Grace, Gold and Glory detailing her trials and tribulations, offering an account of how she came to be one of Americas top gymnasts.

Being an athlete can be demanding, both physically and mentally. In 2022, Douglas shared with her 1.5 million Instagram followers that she would be stepping back from social media to take time to focus on her mental health. Though the star athlete did not go into details as to what exactly triggered the decision, she did reveal in her post that shes been feeling weighed down by physical, emotional and mental stress and saw taking a hiatus from social media as one way to cope with whats most important in her life.

Luckily, earlier this year, she announced her return to social media with a post revealing how she was on a journey to find joy again in the sport she loved dearly.

The elite athlete never officially retired, but she didnt attend the Tokyo Olympics. I didnt want to end this sport how I did in 2016. I wanted to take a step back and work on my mental state, she shared in an interview with NBC. I love gymnastics and love pushing myself I never wanted to walk away on a bad day.

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Gabby Douglas Paris Olympics 2024 comeback but why did she take time off? - Style

Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas' comeback following an eight-year layoff will take another important step on Saturday at the U.S. Classic.

Douglas, who became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title when she soared to gold at the 2012 London Games, is among a star-studded field that will compete at the XL Center in the last major tuneup before the U.S. Championships.

The meet also includes 2016 Olympic champion Simone Biles and 2020 Olympic champion Sunisa Lee as well as Olympic medalists Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles, among others.

Douglas, 28, competed for the first time in eight years at the American Classic in Katy, Texas last month. While there was some noticeable rust, Douglas also showed flashes of why she is intent on making a run at the five-woman U.S. team that will head to Paris as heavy favorites in August.

Travel issues prevented Douglas from landing in Connecticut until early Friday morning. She estimated she got about two hours of sleep but felt it was important to get comfortable on the equipment in her first competition in a large venue since helping the U.S. team win gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

I felt like, so much nostalgia, Douglas said.

Nostalgia will likely give way to jitters when she salutes the judges on Saturday. While she acknowledged there may be more than a few butterflies at the U.S. Classic, she also stressed, it's a really fun moment.

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

A somewhat unexpected one, too. Douglas went on a sabbatical that looked an awful lot like retirement after leaving Rio.

It ended rough for me in 2016 so I didnt want to end on that note, Douglas said. "Regardless of the outcome, I wanted to make sure, like, I end on love and joy instead of hating something that I loved.

She felt the pangs to return while watching the 2022 U.S. Championships and has spent nearly two years training in the Dallas area preparing for this moment.

She's had a couple of weeks to regroup after the American Classic, which hinted at the talent she still has at an age when most American elite gymnasts have long since retired.

Her double-twisting Yurchenko on vault had plenty of amplitude and on bars her best event she had the pieces of a routine that would certainly be competitive at the elite level.

The challenge will be finding a way to put all the pieces together consistently.

Douglas came off bars twice and her floor routine lacked the crispness and endurance to stack up with what will be required for anyone hoping to make a serious bid for the Olympic team.

She's not looking for perfection on Saturday, just improvement.

I just want to go out there and do my very best and not try too hard or try too much, Douglas told reporters. "Just try to do my normal.

Read more here:

Olympic champion Gabby Douglas' takes another important step in her comeback bid - NBC DFW