Gabby Douglas hospitalized, forced to miss VMA presentation
Olympic gymnastics star Gabby Douglas was hospitalized Sunday night, forcing her to miss a scheduled appearance with her U.S. teammates at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Four of the Final Five gymnastics greats from the Rio Olympics wished their ailing teammate well before getting hugs from best female video winner Beyonce on Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.
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Simone Biles, in a girly red mini dress, had an attack of the giggles as she shared the stage with Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian.
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“The fifth member of our team, Gabby Douglas, is having medical issues and unfortunately couldn’t make it tonight,” Biles said. “Feel better Gabby!”
Douglas was in a hospital for treatment of a mouth infection from a previous injury, said her publicist, Lesley Burbridge.
“She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications,” Burbridge said in an email to The Associated Press.
The four took turns introducing Beyonce and her contenders for the award. Kocian said, “Together with our teammate Gabby we accomplished something bigger than ourselves.”
Between them, the five won nine medals, breaking the record of eight won by the 1984 and 2008 USA women’s gymnastics teams.
“The five women nominated for best female video worked hard to be on top of their games,” Raisman said from the VMA stage. “They’re role models for us as we hope to be to a younger generation of women.”
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