Gabby Douglas Still an Olympic Superstar Despite Uneven Bars Blunder

Gabby Douglas is still a superstar even though she came up short in the women’s gymnastics uneven bars finals Monday morning.

The American sensation tripped up during the event as Russian Aliya Mustafina took home the gold to give the Russians their first gold of the women’s gymnastics competition. Mustafina executed a practically perfect performance and scored a remarkable 16.133.

Douglas was the last to go and had quite a challenge ahead of her. The bar was set high and Douglas, with the pressure on her after winning the all-around competition, could not produce.

Her level of difficulty demanded she conduct an error-free performance. However, halfway through the routine she made a wrong turn and had to make a noticeable and awkward adjustment.

It cost her enough to put her in dead last.

What does this say about Douglas and the highly competitive sport of gymnastics? There isn’t such a thing as perfection as much as we’d like to hope that there is.

Any negativity directed at the 16-year-old should be checked at the door. She went to London, a young teenager, and she will come back to the U.S. as one of the biggest names from the Summer Games.

Her impressive all-around ability has earned her a gold medal in one of the most difficult and prestigious Olympic events. That ability also helped the U.S. gain the gold in the coveted team competition.

No, Gabby Douglas doesn’t have to prove anything else to anyone right now.

In an event that requires perfection, Gabby Douglas, and McKayla Maroney the day before her, has shown that things don’t always go as you’d hope. No matter how hard you work and no matter how good you are at gymnastics, everyone is human in the end.

That certainly doesn’t take away from the accomplishments that these athletes have trained their entire lives for.

Gabby Douglas, you’re a star.

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