Gabby Douglas tests positive for COVID-19, drops out of first elite competition since 2016 Rio Olympics
The Winter Cup in Louisville is the first step for U.S. athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
The event was supposed to feature the long-awaited return of 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas, but that will have to wait. Douglas withdrew from the Winter Cup on Thursday after she tested positive for COVID-19.
She hasn't competed in an elite competition since the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Video above: Olympic gymnastics training for elite competition
But there are still plenty of Olympians planning to compete this weekend, including 2020 all around champion Suni Lee, and the reigning Winter Cup champ and 2020 Olympian Yul Moldauer.
Moldauer says he's planning on competing all around over the next two days of competition.
"So I'm going to go out there and throw a new floor pass, day two going to do a new release on a high bar. But other than that, you know, just show that I'm ready for this year and start being consistent. Start putting my name in the picture and just attack it," he said.
Another familiar face on the Olympic front is Brody Malone.
The Winter Cup will be his first competition back since suffering a knee injury last March.
Malone says while he's not back to doing all around just yet, he plans on competing in pommel horse, rings, and parallel bars this weekend.
"Yeah, I've transitioned to a little bit of doing rod floor tumbling, I think, two weeks ago. Probably something like that. So still trying to take it slow, not doing too much yet. But I mean, it feels pretty good. So the plan is to be back doing floor and vault by USAs," Malone said.
The competition for senior men begins on Friday, followed by the senior women on Saturday.