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Chow: Gabby Douglas returning to Iowa, 'lot of challenges ahead'

Bryce Miller
brmiller@dmreg.com

Liang Chow confirmed Sunday that Olympian Gabby Douglas will return to Iowa to train, but cautioned that hurdles remain for the two-time gold medal-winning gymnast.

Chow, who is in Canada for training sessions in advance of the Pacific Rim Championships, said Douglas will rejoin Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines — the facility she left last August.

"We are welcoming Gabby to come back in our gym," Chow responded to The Des Moines Register via text message. "We are all excited to see her next week. It is hard for me to make any detailed training plan at this point since I have not seen her for a long time."

Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas is shown at a press conference in 2008.

Attempts to reach Douglas on Sunday were unsuccessful. The decision of Douglas and Chow to team up again was first reported by USA TODAY Sports.

Douglas became the first African-American to capture an Olympic all-around championship in gymnastics after also winning gold in the team competition. She moved to Los Angeles to join family there, raising questions about whether Chow and Douglas would work together again.

Chow's wife, Li, was asked in August if a reunion would be possible: "At this point, I don't think so. No."

The return of Douglas, 18, will spark discussion about a possible return to the Olympic stage. Chow cautioned, however, that the extended absence from their training relationship is a significant factor.

"I know it will be a lot of challenges ahead of us," Chow texted. "The real test will be to see how tough Gabby can be to achieve her goals and to meet all of our training expectations."