Taking Tokyo Taking Tokyo

Aly Raisman: I’ll be back for 2020 Olympics

Jewish Olympic gold medalist, a veteran at 22, says she’s planning time off but will start training again in about a year

By JTA 8 September 2016, 9:08 pm

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US gymnast Alexandra Raisman competes in the qualifying for the women's Beam event of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 7, 2016 (AFP PHOTO / Emmanuel DUNAND)

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman said she is planning to compete in the Summer Games in Tokyo in four years.

Raisman told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on Wednesday that she plans to take a break before returning to training for the 2020 Olympics.

“That’s the goal,” Raisman said. “I’m going to take off a little bit of time just because I think I need a little bit of a break. I took a full year off in 2012 and I’m going to do the same thing, and then I’ll begin training again.”

Raisman told DeGeneres that she keeps “getting better with age.”

“I thought I was in the best shape of my life in 2012, but it was even better now, so I’m excited to see what will happen in 2020,” she said.

Raisman, at 22 the oldest member of the US women’s gymnastics team, served as its captain and was nicknamed “Grandma” by teammates.

The Massachusetts athlete appeared on the talk show wearing the three medals she earned in last month’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro: a gold in the team all-around, and silvers in floor exercise and the individual all-around.

Raisman also won three medals at the 2012 games in London, including two golds: in the team all-around and floor exercise.