Gabby Douglas and the world of gymnastics

She just finished seventh out of eight on Sunday’s uneven bars final, ending an Olympics where the focus was more on her facial expressions, hand placement during meal ceremony national anthems and perceived enthusiasm for her teammates than whatever she did in actual competition.

Now, Gabby Douglas was standing strong at Rio Olympic Arena with a backpack hanging from her shoulders, attempting to stand her ground, attempting to respond to the army of critics that had turned these Summer Games into anything but how she envisioned it. 

“Well, in my head I had pictured it a little bit differently,” Douglas said. “I think everybody does. You want to picture yourself on top and doing those routines and being amazing.“When you go through a lot and you have so many difficulties and people against you sometimes, it kind of just determines your character,” Douglas continued.“Are you going to stand? Or are you going to stumble?”

Four years ago in London, she stood tallest of all as the Olympic all-around champion and the historic, breakout-star golden girl. She was the beaming, bouncing “Flying Squirrel” who captivated with her presence as well as her performance.

In gymnastics, they judge everything. And not just the judges. Everyone judges everything. Douglas knows how it works.

Here in Rio, at age 20, she didn’t merely fail to match her old peppiness and excitement. She also struggled to maintain at least the illusion of it. In gymnastics, sometimes you have to fake it. Like it or loathe it, that’s how it works.

Sources close to Team USA say Douglas maintains a level of distance with some of the staff and her teammates. That came through to many watching back in the United States.

Some of it is rooted in discomfort, if not outright racism, of the critics. Some fans were outraged that she didn’t put her hand over her heart during a medal ceremony or didn’t cheer hard enough for a teammate or sat off to the side by herself during the meet. Truth is, they would have found some other reason to hate on her. Sadly, that’s always been the case when it comes to Gabby.

“Geez,” Douglas said, her eyes beginning to well up with tears, but never, ever, breaking. “I’ve been trying to stay off the internet because it is so much negativity. And … ah … I’m like, ‘What?’ … When they talk about my hair or me not putting my hand on my heart or me being salty in the stands and, you know, really criticizing me … and it doesn’t feel good. For me, it was a little bit hurtful.

“At first they were like, ‘Good job, you’re in the Olympics,’ ” Douglas continued. “And then they kind of turn on you. It was hurtful. It was kind of a lot to deal with and you kind of have to stay away from that … [With] everything I had to go through and everything I have gone through, it’s just been a lot this time around.

“I apologize for what may have seemed me being mad in the stands,” she said of the perception that she wasn’t cheering hard enough for all-round competitors Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. “I wasn’t. I was supporting Aly and I always will support all of them in whatever they do. I don’t want anyone taking it as I was jealous or I want attention. Never. I support them and I’m sorry that I wasn’t showing it and I should have.

“And for me, it’s been a lot,” she said. “I still love them, still love the people who love me and the people who hate me.”