Ankle injury ends gymnast Gabby Douglas' bid for the Paris Olympics

May 29 (UPI) -- Three-time gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas won't compete for more Olympics glory this summer due to an ankle injury suffered while training.

Douglas, 28, was preparing for the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend when she suffered the training injury earlier this week.

"I love this sport and I love pushing my limits," Douglas told ESPN. "I hope I can inspire both my peers and the next generation of gymnasts that age is just a number and you can accomplish anything you work hard for."

Her withdrawal from the U.S. Championships ends Douglas' bid to join the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics scheduled July 26 through Aug.11.

The winners at the U.S. Championships qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials scheduled June 27-30.

The event was Douglas' last attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Douglas was attempting to return to the Olympics after an eight-year absence following the 2016 Rio games, where Douglas and her teammates won the all-around team gold medal.

Douglas also won the individual all-around gymnastics gold medal during the 2012 London Olympics, which made her the first Black gymnast to win that competition.

She also was a member of the U.S. team's all-around gold medal-winning squad at the London Olympics.

Douglas returned to competition 18 months ago but struggled in recent events and withdrew from the U.S.A. Gymnastics' Core Hydration Classic held May 17-18 in Hartford, Conn.

Had Douglas qualified for this year's U.S. Olympics team, she would have been the oldest women's gymnastics team member since 1952.

She still might in four years.

Douglas said she intends to rehabilitate her injury and start training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.