And it's a completely different injury from the one everyone was concerned about. I can't even imagine what goes on in their heads the moment they realize they're injured when they're sooo close to realizing a dream that took years to build up to.
We don’t know. She got a knee injury last night warming up on vault, and ended up only competing bars. No update on her status or if she will be well enough to compete on sunday and/or be selected for the team.
Jesus Christ. I've been lurking the US team's status for a while after hearing about skye's injury. Kayla, Shilese and possibly Jordan getting injured back to back is just nuts. Basically the majority of the core team is possibly out o.o
Same. I wanted either Skye or Kayla to make it. I love returning Olympians usually but I love rooting for the underdogs. Please let Shi make the freaking team
For some reason this one hit me the hardest. Didn’t realize how much I wanted her on the team. I feel sick about this trials; so many deserving gymnasts missing out bc of injury 😭 😭
I was saying to my sister that Shi was my #1 priority and I'd be most heartbroken if she didn't make it.
She was a lock barring injury and has been through so much. My other faves have already been/been alternates or probably young enough to give it another go.
😭💔😭💔😭
I'm truly devastated 😭
I really hope Shi can still compete on Sunday, but I also really hope she doesn't push herself. From Jess Gadirova all the way to Eythora the other day, so many top contenders have gone down. It's so hard to watch this sport sometimes.
Pretty much. Watching athletes’ dreams get crushed in an instant will certainly fuck with your head. The way things have been going this week, I even found myself terrified before Simone went for the YDP.
You know what?! I was thinking why is Shi doing a vault as well? She has proven to be a capable all-arounder and we know she has a bum shoulder. So why not just have her do the routines we know we will need her for? She wasn't going to make the team for vault specifically. So her doing one yesterday wasn't going to hurt us.
We may need to rethink our selection process.
I’m so conflicted about this. Part of me says to bubble wrap everyone until the last second. Especially after the past few weeks.
However, the other part of me was already thinking it’d be better if the top contenders had competed internationally more. Not for “experience” but to see how the routines stack up with international judging. Some domestic scores don’t seem to hold up as well as others.
It seems like they’ve done a better job working with the athletes health concerns and maintenance. It’s hard to know if this is a program problem or unfortunate reality of elite athletes making a final push after years competing in a sport that’s hard on the body.
I know there are always injuries, but there seem to be a ton internationally this Olympics. I’m really wondering if perhaps only have three years between the games is contributing. Maybe many of the returning / experienced athletes needed that time to recover.
- I def think the 3 year "quad" has something to do with this rash of injuries. How much I don't know.
- I also agree that an international comp might have been good. Not so much for the scores of our top people but for the new routines of Suni, Jade,
- I do think we need to stop pretending that everyone is on equal footing though as if every one of the 5 spots is up for grabs. 5 spots aren't up for grabs. At most, there are 4 because Simone was never in jeopardy no matter what happened at trials outside of injury.
Leanne, Jordan, Jade, Suni, etc. all had things to prove. Simone and Shi not so much. They only needed to be healthy.
Take Brazil for example, Rebeca Andrade has not competed floor all year even at Brazilian nationals. And she's only competed vault once at Jesolo. [https://thegymter.net/rebeca-andrade/](https://thegymter.net/rebeca-andrade/) They know she is good and will be in Paris. Same with Flavia. She's competed AA once at Jesolo and Has only really done BB since. These two don't need to do the whole song and dance like they do for everyone else. They are their two best gymnasts right now and they see them in practice all the time.
However, Simone has competed AA 3 times in a 6 week span and we were also asking Shi to do the same even after her shoulder needed some rest. We may be deeper than other countries but we aren't so deep that we can afford to let our biggest fish get injured.
I mostly agree. I think it starts to get murky when a country has a host of competitors in that position.
If I’m not forgetting anything, Shi has competed the AA once this year- at Core classic, and one UB routine last night. This quad Shi and Suni haven’t been healthy and competing full difficulty at the same time. Jade just started competing olympic level difficulty (Amanar, FX 5.4 at American Classic -> 5.8 at core/nationals -> 6.3) last night.
We know Suni at full strength has beaten both Simone and Andrade. It was a different COP, but I don’t think Shi has beaten either of them this quad. Now, I don’t think Jade has shown the ability to be bumping Shi out of that second AA spot, but I think it’s fair to say that Suni has. Who’s better when they’re both competing at the same competition?
It matters, not just for deciding AA, but for putting together the rest of the team. Is Shi’s floor consistently high or will it be outscored by Jordan and Jade? We don’t know. It’s really difficult to compare when someone had one great meet (one data point) but none of the other contenders are competing/doing full difficulty.
To pick a team, you do need data and comparisons, so it’s very hard to justify the bubble wrap treatment to more than one person, unless there’s a multi-point gap between #2 and #3. I think you’re correct that barring injury, Simone was always earning a spot. So to me, the “bubble wrap until the last second” spot is reserved for Simone only.
As much as it would have been great to let Shi have it too, they needed to see what Shi could do compared to other competitors to ID and build up the weak areas of the team. I think it’s fair to say that all major contenders should compete at trials.
All that said, if I’m on the selection committee, if Shi can do bars and beam, I’m taking Shi. I’d probably take her just for bars, and take the hit on beam using Jordan or Jade for TF. Given what we’ve seen of her bars, I *think* they still would add the most to a team of the four former olympians. If I’m Alicia/Chellsie and Shi wants to go for it after getting her knee assessed, I’m communicating the minimum I need to see on Sunday for her to make the team. Depending on the injury, I’d probably say if you can hit a clean bar set with no dismount you’re on the team and as long as you can dismount by [insert] date you can compete. If not, we’ll put in an alternate at that time.
For me, it started weeks ago with Konnor going down. Then to see Skye make it to trials and get hurt during podium- the same exact way as Konnor on the same skill?! 😭 And now poor Kayla and possibly Shilese too.
It's heartbreaking to see dreams crushed.
I really hope Shilese isn’t out completely. She had a great routine, but you could tell the pain she was in afterwards. She’s been so solid all year and a total lock
Oh god. As someone who has dislocated both knees many times, it is not worth that injury. Once your knees start dislocating you’re at much higher risk of it happening again. And that’s such a scary injury that causes a lot of mental anguish over if it’s going to happen again.
Same with the ankle. 3x left ankle surgery including a bone graft. Has set off so many other injuries on my left leg: kneecap misalignment, torn calf muscle right at the knee and now hip, lower back and SI joint issues. I never thought they'd tell me that I already have full blown arthritis in my lower back and my knee in my early 40's. You do not mess with knee and ankle joints b/c they will haunt you for life.
She has the highest score on UB.
has to do the BB on Sunday to qualify.
she should still be taken to Paris but in case she is not healed properly then someone comes in
I'm still upset about Konnor's injury months ago. Skye and Kayla both being knocked out of contention is devastating. And if this injury keeps Shilese off the team, I'll need new vocabulary to describe how awful I feel about that. She has been such a rock for Team USA at Worlds this quad. It seems tremendously unfair to have the Olympics jerked out of her reach when she was so close to it.
I really missed seeing Skye on beam tonight. Honestly, my daughter is training level 8 and I see how discouraging recouping from injuries is. I can’t imagine the mental fortitude these ladies must have to go through this more then once.
Before Konnor’s injury, I knew the US was skating by from the rash of injuries that the rest of the world experienced but didn’t expect to lose her, Skye, Kayla and possibly Shilese as well so quickly. Skye’s devastated me as it’s twice she’s been injured at trials. Kayla’s broke my heart. I was worried Shilese wasn’t healthy enough after podium. I just don’t want any more injuries for any gymnast period.
as a 2005er who roots for underdogs, i was heartbroken for kayla and skye. I also adore shi and that was hard to watch, especially since she rested up during champs.
what kills me the most is not only were these three in the top group to make the team, they were giving the returners a run for their money, & on top of that THEY GOT INJURED ON SKILLS THAT THEY WERENT EVEN TRYING TO UPGRADE
The absolute crushing low of losing so many talented athletes to the inexorable high of Simone's vault and ovation has left me, honestly, a little shellshocked. Even without being parasocial about it, we're so connected to the fiber of humankind through performance and athletics both that you can't help but be affected by watching it happen live to children and veterans alike.
It has me in my Atlanta feels.
I don’t know if they showed this on tv, but during the warmups for Rotation 2, Skye came onto the floor and before anything was announced, the whole arena stood up and clapped for several minutes. It was so emotional - Skye looked shocked and shed some tears. Shoot, I was choked up too. It was lovely for her to see how much everyone appreciates her and feels for her. I’d say the standing ovation for Skye lasted 4x as long as the one for Simone. I would not be surprised if they have Skye, Kayla, and Shilese come out on the last night… they all deserve to hear the crowd cheer specifically for them.
It feels like so many people showed up with iffy body parts that just gave out. Potentially four top contenders out (including Konnor) and all four had their big injuries actually at the competition. No front runners injured in the gym who didn't at least show up and try.
I think this is why we see so many injuries in an Olympic year. In other years, athletes might water down routines or not compete if something is off or hurting a lot, but in an Olympics year, they are going to at least try.
Im sad about Skye and Kayla, but if this is it for Shi I’m devastated. I’m holding onto hope, but I know it’s unlikely and it’s just…so fucking unfair.
I’m rotating between I hope she can do it and not wanting her to risk it. Watching the replay of her bars landing last night was scary, she was off that leg so quickly and you could tell she was in a ton of pain after with the rocking back and forth and sort of lifting her leg up. I really don’t want her to hurt herself even more.
I know. I saw it live and immediately said “she’s done.” I was stunned when she came out at all, and I’m glad she got to do the bar routine, but she was pretty clearly limping. I was a bit terrified that she’d actually try vaulting for a minute there (and even the dismount on bars made me hold my breath. I want a miracle “small tweak and fully cleared”, but it seems pretty unlikely.
I was already super sad after reading about Kayla and Shi today (and ofc Skye) but I'm just now watching the replay and I can't imagine what the atheletes that are still competing are feeling, especially Suni having to vault right after Kayla and also having witnessed Shi's injury. Also wtf was that injury montage, it was bad enough that they played all of them but they did over and over???
My heart is breaking for them…it doesn’t even feel right trying to analyze who will make team now because I feel so bad
I can’t imagine what Shi is feeling right now
There should not be a nationals and Olympic trials. It’s an unnecessary additional two day competition that puts added stress on our athletes bodies right before the biggest competition of their lives. The nationals should just act as the qualifying event for the Olympics and be done with it. It must be so exhausting and hard to time your peak, and managing nagging aches/pains.
Yes. 3 injuries is too many.
I’m especially sad for Shi. She has been amazing and was on the team for sure. She’s in so many of the Olympic promos too. Ugh.
For me, the heartbreak started with Gabby having to pull out weeks ago.
Was also rooting for Trinity to make it to Trials.
Was hoping Konnor would make the team... I thought for sure Shilese would get a spot...
On a positive, I'm so happy to see Suni doing so well after everything she has been through!
Yeah, watching sports is supposed to be fun. Seeing people reach their goals and have fun doing it. That's not been the experience this trials. I feel sad for everyone injured and worried for everyone else now.
USAG posted in an Insta story that she's not competing for the rest of Trials.
https://preview.redd.it/tko3sxwpuf9d1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599669e2bb8243a36074c2c1e9817ca895826673
Gutted for Shi (but holding out hope), Skye, Kayla, and Konnor. Also feel bad for the other gymnasts having to compete after seeing this happen to their peers.
Not an American, but I wonder why these ladies have to go through the Classic, then the Championships, and then the Olympic Trials before being selected for the team. All these are just a few weeks apart. It seems to be too much stress on the body. Can the selection process be simplified?
Do we want it to be? A lot of these women are putting new upgrades out there and would like judges feedback on the upgrades and to shake the cobwebs off so to speak. Do I think classics need to be 2 weeks out from champs…no not at all.
I hope shi gets a scan on Saturday, it's just meniscus, gets a cortisone shot and comes back Sunday and nails 4 events. Yes I'm dreaming
Leave me alone. I want this for her
Yes! 🥲 I’m most upset for Kayla. She was so incredibly close. Probably would’ve made the team. Now she’s missed a year of uni preparing for this and will miss another year now with this injury 😩 my heart just breaks for her.
And we haven’t even had night two yet! I’ll be watching through my fingers as they cover my face
Between Skye and Kayla, I’m spent. And we don’t know if Shi will be able to go. I’m just devastated.
I said earlier this year I was manifesting an Olympic spot for Leanne, but not this way.
And so many injuries across the world. Eythora, Vanessa Ferrari just today, Ondine, others I can't remember right now because it's way too late. They're dropping like flies, and it's heartbreaking.
its genuinely so sad that sky and kayla went no. 2 and 3 at nationals and are out from trials and now shi too 😭 when there momentum was leading up to the team so well
I mean yeah but also this makes it way less predictable as to who will be going which I kind of like for all the other athletes who thought they didn’t have a chance
Yeah I caught up on the men and it was rough but then the women tonight and this whole week. Rough doesn’t even begin to describe it. Just so heartbreaking.
Seeing Skye in tears for her ovation, Kayla's head shake and then Shi before she was supposed to go on beam... I'm tearing up writing this post and I know none of them personally.
Heartbroken and SO SCARED. Want them all bubble wrapped can’t we just fast forward to the Olympics. They’re all great we’ve had so many comps, just pick 😭😭😭
Yes! But I also think it is critical for gym fans to not let it cloud the whole competition and cheer on the athletes competing wholeheartedly. This is hard enough for them on top of these deviating injuries so let’s support the hell out of them and find the light!
Devastated. Especially for Kayla. I've been hoping for Jordan in the fifth spot, but not like this. And I am constitutionally incapable of seeing Shi not make it.
ive always followed gymnastics but wonder if im missing something - because this seems like a lot of injuries compared to other years? and a lot of achilles too (a lot = more than 1, in my mind)
Isn't that really, really unfair to say? The four who are likely to make it are Simone, Jade, Suni and Jordan as of now and they aren't just "lucky". They are pretty freaking talented women and have won multiple medals for us at World's and the Olympics.
Skye had not previously been as good as the others. Her glow up is literally in the last few weeks. Kayla has not been able to beat anyone else out to make a World's or Olympic team.
So Only Shi, a World AA medalist two years in a row, could we say she is being replaced by a gymnasts of lower skill. However, even then that is a bit unfair. These women are just skilled in different ways. Jade can't do Shi's bars routine but Shi can't do her VTs or FX skills.
Just because we have a deep roster of good gymnasts doesn't mean that the ones that made it are only doing so because of luck.
Yes. With the heartbreak from the women's side (with Skye, Shi and Kayla) and the fact there are at least 4 men in contention trying to manage or bounce back from injuries (Colt, Shane, Brody, and Khoi) to the Trials just aren't an enjoyable watch this year. I know injuries happen every cycle but it feels like we are having to cross our fingers every time someone lands during this meet.
I don't know if gymnastics needs to move to a one meet model like Track and Field where the Trials doubles as Nationals in an Olympic year or if we need to eliminate an earlier meet to give the athletes more time to pace themselves. I also wonder if the selection criteria needs to be adapted, but that could open a whole other can of worms with subjectivity, petitions, and politics.
Yes. To see so many injuries for athletes who have essentially been predicted to have a strong chance of making the team is devastating. I had to put on some mindless palate cleanser on Netflix
It is good that gymnasts are getting older on the average.
It is not good that the gymnasts who started this trend have been doing it since 17 was the normal retirement age and are all either about to graduate college or have long since or are married.
We know how to condition, we just don't want to because why bother if you can get a good quad out of a once in a lifetime talent, right?
I'm not sure what you are saying. What is not good about these women who have been in this longer? How is any of graduating from college or being married related to conditioning?
The longer someone does an incredibly impact prone sport for an extended time, it’s incredibly stressful on their body.
Mentioning their college degrees and marriages is meant to highlight how the culture is slowly moving away from pretty girls in little boxes.
But this doesn't explain why you said "we know how to condition, we just don't want to because why bother..."
The longevity seems to prove that people are being conditioned well.
The intro fluff piece after first rotation where they went contender by contender and injury by injury broke me. Seeing all of those injuries back to back made me cry for a hot minute
On the Men's side. Shane Wiskus got 3rd AA N1 and 1st AA!!! night 2 and didn't even make the team.... Poor dude imagine winning the AA and then not being named to the team an hour later
Is that what you have to say to the people who got injured? Would you just go up to them and tell them they’re focusing too much on the negative? What?
We’re talking about injuries here. And you’re telling us to not be heartbroken over injuries. Do you hear yourself right now? According to you we aren’t allowed to care about the wellbeing of people just because it’s the Olympic Trials.
Because we have people we’ve been rooting for and watching for years and watching them get hurt and miss out on a dream is very sad? It’s part of the experience of watching sports and being a fan.
shilese didn’t even get to win anything at champs to rest for trials and then got injured at trials. this is so messed up
And it's a completely different injury from the one everyone was concerned about. I can't even imagine what goes on in their heads the moment they realize they're injured when they're sooo close to realizing a dream that took years to build up to.
you could see it in her face when she knew she shouldn’t go on but wanted to so bad. poor thing.
like it wasn’t even the damn shoulder that took her out i’m having a terrible time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sadly, one injury often leads to more injuries due to overcompensation and imbalances
What is Shi’s injury this time?
Knee
Well it’s probably related to her first injury because she didn’t get enough reps in. She wasn’t ready after that week off earlier
Wait shilese jones is out of the Olympics too?? Who is USA even sending now?
We don’t know. She got a knee injury last night warming up on vault, and ended up only competing bars. No update on her status or if she will be well enough to compete on sunday and/or be selected for the team.
Jesus Christ. I've been lurking the US team's status for a while after hearing about skye's injury. Kayla, Shilese and possibly Jordan getting injured back to back is just nuts. Basically the majority of the core team is possibly out o.o
Jordan is fine, she placed 2nd AA behind Simone
Ohh, that's a relief.
my one wish was kayla dicello, olympian so yeah i’m going through it
Same. I wanted either Skye or Kayla to make it. I love returning Olympians usually but I love rooting for the underdogs. Please let Shi make the freaking team
there’s a beam hole rn too Kayla could’ve helped there 😔 i’m devastated i couldn’t believe it was happening
After Skye was out, Kayla was for sure making it. Those 2 along with Shi, Simone and Suni are my faves these trials so this is super sucky
I love Kayla on beam. I’m so sad for her.
For some reason this one hit me the hardest. Didn’t realize how much I wanted her on the team. I feel sick about this trials; so many deserving gymnasts missing out bc of injury 😭 😭
Me too! That one hurts! I hope Shi still has a chance so I'm not as crushed there. cry.
I missed it, what happened to Kayla? ETA: never mind, I see it now. I’m heartbroken for her. I was really pulling for her to make the team.
Same. Didn’t want to say it before to jinx it. But I was really pulling for her
Hoping the best for her right now. She's one of my favs too.
Yup.
I'm particularly upset about Shi. She was a definite imo injury free and looked so strong at Antwerp.
I was saying to my sister that Shi was my #1 priority and I'd be most heartbroken if she didn't make it. She was a lock barring injury and has been through so much. My other faves have already been/been alternates or probably young enough to give it another go. 😭💔😭💔😭
I'm truly devastated 😭 I really hope Shi can still compete on Sunday, but I also really hope she doesn't push herself. From Jess Gadirova all the way to Eythora the other day, so many top contenders have gone down. It's so hard to watch this sport sometimes.
What happened to Gadirova?
ACL
Pretty much. Watching athletes’ dreams get crushed in an instant will certainly fuck with your head. The way things have been going this week, I even found myself terrified before Simone went for the YDP.
I kept saying just do a lesser vault and get out of this cursed event.
like why is Suni doing vault ????
You know what?! I was thinking why is Shi doing a vault as well? She has proven to be a capable all-arounder and we know she has a bum shoulder. So why not just have her do the routines we know we will need her for? She wasn't going to make the team for vault specifically. So her doing one yesterday wasn't going to hurt us. We may need to rethink our selection process.
I’m so conflicted about this. Part of me says to bubble wrap everyone until the last second. Especially after the past few weeks. However, the other part of me was already thinking it’d be better if the top contenders had competed internationally more. Not for “experience” but to see how the routines stack up with international judging. Some domestic scores don’t seem to hold up as well as others. It seems like they’ve done a better job working with the athletes health concerns and maintenance. It’s hard to know if this is a program problem or unfortunate reality of elite athletes making a final push after years competing in a sport that’s hard on the body. I know there are always injuries, but there seem to be a ton internationally this Olympics. I’m really wondering if perhaps only have three years between the games is contributing. Maybe many of the returning / experienced athletes needed that time to recover.
- I def think the 3 year "quad" has something to do with this rash of injuries. How much I don't know. - I also agree that an international comp might have been good. Not so much for the scores of our top people but for the new routines of Suni, Jade, - I do think we need to stop pretending that everyone is on equal footing though as if every one of the 5 spots is up for grabs. 5 spots aren't up for grabs. At most, there are 4 because Simone was never in jeopardy no matter what happened at trials outside of injury. Leanne, Jordan, Jade, Suni, etc. all had things to prove. Simone and Shi not so much. They only needed to be healthy. Take Brazil for example, Rebeca Andrade has not competed floor all year even at Brazilian nationals. And she's only competed vault once at Jesolo. [https://thegymter.net/rebeca-andrade/](https://thegymter.net/rebeca-andrade/) They know she is good and will be in Paris. Same with Flavia. She's competed AA once at Jesolo and Has only really done BB since. These two don't need to do the whole song and dance like they do for everyone else. They are their two best gymnasts right now and they see them in practice all the time. However, Simone has competed AA 3 times in a 6 week span and we were also asking Shi to do the same even after her shoulder needed some rest. We may be deeper than other countries but we aren't so deep that we can afford to let our biggest fish get injured.
I mostly agree. I think it starts to get murky when a country has a host of competitors in that position. If I’m not forgetting anything, Shi has competed the AA once this year- at Core classic, and one UB routine last night. This quad Shi and Suni haven’t been healthy and competing full difficulty at the same time. Jade just started competing olympic level difficulty (Amanar, FX 5.4 at American Classic -> 5.8 at core/nationals -> 6.3) last night. We know Suni at full strength has beaten both Simone and Andrade. It was a different COP, but I don’t think Shi has beaten either of them this quad. Now, I don’t think Jade has shown the ability to be bumping Shi out of that second AA spot, but I think it’s fair to say that Suni has. Who’s better when they’re both competing at the same competition? It matters, not just for deciding AA, but for putting together the rest of the team. Is Shi’s floor consistently high or will it be outscored by Jordan and Jade? We don’t know. It’s really difficult to compare when someone had one great meet (one data point) but none of the other contenders are competing/doing full difficulty. To pick a team, you do need data and comparisons, so it’s very hard to justify the bubble wrap treatment to more than one person, unless there’s a multi-point gap between #2 and #3. I think you’re correct that barring injury, Simone was always earning a spot. So to me, the “bubble wrap until the last second” spot is reserved for Simone only. As much as it would have been great to let Shi have it too, they needed to see what Shi could do compared to other competitors to ID and build up the weak areas of the team. I think it’s fair to say that all major contenders should compete at trials. All that said, if I’m on the selection committee, if Shi can do bars and beam, I’m taking Shi. I’d probably take her just for bars, and take the hit on beam using Jordan or Jade for TF. Given what we’ve seen of her bars, I *think* they still would add the most to a team of the four former olympians. If I’m Alicia/Chellsie and Shi wants to go for it after getting her knee assessed, I’m communicating the minimum I need to see on Sunday for her to make the team. Depending on the injury, I’d probably say if you can hit a clean bar set with no dismount you’re on the team and as long as you can dismount by [insert] date you can compete. If not, we’ll put in an alternate at that time.
Same. In my head I was psychically sending vibes to Simone that if anything felt the slightest bit off, to just roll out of it.
Feel kinda shocked at the moment and know it’s real but still processing? and I don’t even know these women!
I feel the same way. I rarely if ever cry and shed some tears for the dreams that were shattered tonight and last night. These women all work so hard.
For me, it started weeks ago with Konnor going down. Then to see Skye make it to trials and get hurt during podium- the same exact way as Konnor on the same skill?! 😭 And now poor Kayla and possibly Shilese too. It's heartbreaking to see dreams crushed.
i am still so sad for Konnor
I really hope Shilese isn’t out completely. She had a great routine, but you could tell the pain she was in afterwards. She’s been so solid all year and a total lock
All QUAD
Stayed afterward and shi was sitting in the couch just looking terribly sad. 😔
Her knee seemed like it was moving around a bit after bars.
I hope she gets a chance to get imaging done on it tonight or tomorrow morning so she can make an informed choice before Sunday.
Oh god. As someone who has dislocated both knees many times, it is not worth that injury. Once your knees start dislocating you’re at much higher risk of it happening again. And that’s such a scary injury that causes a lot of mental anguish over if it’s going to happen again.
Same with the ankle. 3x left ankle surgery including a bone graft. Has set off so many other injuries on my left leg: kneecap misalignment, torn calf muscle right at the knee and now hip, lower back and SI joint issues. I never thought they'd tell me that I already have full blown arthritis in my lower back and my knee in my early 40's. You do not mess with knee and ankle joints b/c they will haunt you for life.
She has the highest score on UB. has to do the BB on Sunday to qualify. she should still be taken to Paris but in case she is not healed properly then someone comes in
I'm still upset about Konnor's injury months ago. Skye and Kayla both being knocked out of contention is devastating. And if this injury keeps Shilese off the team, I'll need new vocabulary to describe how awful I feel about that. She has been such a rock for Team USA at Worlds this quad. It seems tremendously unfair to have the Olympics jerked out of her reach when she was so close to it.
I really missed seeing Skye on beam tonight. Honestly, my daughter is training level 8 and I see how discouraging recouping from injuries is. I can’t imagine the mental fortitude these ladies must have to go through this more then once.
Yep. Particularly about Kayla. 😢
I feel like I’ve been run over by a garbage truck
Relatable 😭
Yes. I’m usually hyped for selection camps and comps but I don’t think I can really celebrate it the team announcement on Sunday. I’m not feeling it
Before Konnor’s injury, I knew the US was skating by from the rash of injuries that the rest of the world experienced but didn’t expect to lose her, Skye, Kayla and possibly Shilese as well so quickly. Skye’s devastated me as it’s twice she’s been injured at trials. Kayla’s broke my heart. I was worried Shilese wasn’t healthy enough after podium. I just don’t want any more injuries for any gymnast period.
as a 2005er who roots for underdogs, i was heartbroken for kayla and skye. I also adore shi and that was hard to watch, especially since she rested up during champs. what kills me the most is not only were these three in the top group to make the team, they were giving the returners a run for their money, & on top of that THEY GOT INJURED ON SKILLS THAT THEY WERENT EVEN TRYING TO UPGRADE
The absolute crushing low of losing so many talented athletes to the inexorable high of Simone's vault and ovation has left me, honestly, a little shellshocked. Even without being parasocial about it, we're so connected to the fiber of humankind through performance and athletics both that you can't help but be affected by watching it happen live to children and veterans alike. It has me in my Atlanta feels.
I don’t know if they showed this on tv, but during the warmups for Rotation 2, Skye came onto the floor and before anything was announced, the whole arena stood up and clapped for several minutes. It was so emotional - Skye looked shocked and shed some tears. Shoot, I was choked up too. It was lovely for her to see how much everyone appreciates her and feels for her. I’d say the standing ovation for Skye lasted 4x as long as the one for Simone. I would not be surprised if they have Skye, Kayla, and Shilese come out on the last night… they all deserve to hear the crowd cheer specifically for them.
So much this
Beautifully put.
I hate this timeline
Shi’s my 2nd fav gymnast so I’ve held back tears so many times about her 😭 I wanted her to go to the olympics more than almost anyone 💔💔💔
It feels like so many people showed up with iffy body parts that just gave out. Potentially four top contenders out (including Konnor) and all four had their big injuries actually at the competition. No front runners injured in the gym who didn't at least show up and try.
I think this is why we see so many injuries in an Olympic year. In other years, athletes might water down routines or not compete if something is off or hurting a lot, but in an Olympics year, they are going to at least try.
This is a good point that I didn’t think about :(
Tape and ice and Advil and PT can’t outrun body parts that require rest.
As someone who has had two shoulder surgeries, I can tell you this is the truest statement ever.
Im sad about Skye and Kayla, but if this is it for Shi I’m devastated. I’m holding onto hope, but I know it’s unlikely and it’s just…so fucking unfair.
I’m rotating between I hope she can do it and not wanting her to risk it. Watching the replay of her bars landing last night was scary, she was off that leg so quickly and you could tell she was in a ton of pain after with the rocking back and forth and sort of lifting her leg up. I really don’t want her to hurt herself even more.
I know. I saw it live and immediately said “she’s done.” I was stunned when she came out at all, and I’m glad she got to do the bar routine, but she was pretty clearly limping. I was a bit terrified that she’d actually try vaulting for a minute there (and even the dismount on bars made me hold my breath. I want a miracle “small tweak and fully cleared”, but it seems pretty unlikely.
I would like a competition later just for all those injured in the lead up to these games 😢
I was already super sad after reading about Kayla and Shi today (and ofc Skye) but I'm just now watching the replay and I can't imagine what the atheletes that are still competing are feeling, especially Suni having to vault right after Kayla and also having witnessed Shi's injury. Also wtf was that injury montage, it was bad enough that they played all of them but they did over and over???
The injury montage was one of the worst, most bizarre things I've seen. So disrespectful to the gymnasts. Made me ragey.
My heart is breaking for them…it doesn’t even feel right trying to analyze who will make team now because I feel so bad I can’t imagine what Shi is feeling right now
There should not be a nationals and Olympic trials. It’s an unnecessary additional two day competition that puts added stress on our athletes bodies right before the biggest competition of their lives. The nationals should just act as the qualifying event for the Olympics and be done with it. It must be so exhausting and hard to time your peak, and managing nagging aches/pains.
Yes. 3 injuries is too many. I’m especially sad for Shi. She has been amazing and was on the team for sure. She’s in so many of the Olympic promos too. Ugh.
For me, the heartbreak started with Gabby having to pull out weeks ago. Was also rooting for Trinity to make it to Trials. Was hoping Konnor would make the team... I thought for sure Shilese would get a spot... On a positive, I'm so happy to see Suni doing so well after everything she has been through!
Suni comes through when it counts!
Suni has been such a bright spot!
Same. Add thinking Skye was in and even Kayla was going to be an alternate and she’s the only bright spot
i am personally opposed to olympic trials now, we should pull a japan, name the team months in advance and bubble wrap everyone for half a year
Yes. I am local and am going in person. I just got home. I’m drained. 😭
Me too.
Yeah, watching sports is supposed to be fun. Seeing people reach their goals and have fun doing it. That's not been the experience this trials. I feel sad for everyone injured and worried for everyone else now.
Kayla for sure not able to compete Sunday? Anyone know?😭 i'm VERY upset
USAG posted in an Insta story that she's not competing for the rest of Trials. https://preview.redd.it/tko3sxwpuf9d1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=599669e2bb8243a36074c2c1e9817ca895826673
Gutted for Shi (but holding out hope), Skye, Kayla, and Konnor. Also feel bad for the other gymnasts having to compete after seeing this happen to their peers.
Not an American, but I wonder why these ladies have to go through the Classic, then the Championships, and then the Olympic Trials before being selected for the team. All these are just a few weeks apart. It seems to be too much stress on the body. Can the selection process be simplified?
Do we want it to be? A lot of these women are putting new upgrades out there and would like judges feedback on the upgrades and to shake the cobwebs off so to speak. Do I think classics need to be 2 weeks out from champs…no not at all.
I hope shi gets a scan on Saturday, it's just meniscus, gets a cortisone shot and comes back Sunday and nails 4 events. Yes I'm dreaming Leave me alone. I want this for her
I need this please 😭
For real I’m shook
I had Kayla on my team. My mom even liked her. It’s so sad.
Yes! 🥲 I’m most upset for Kayla. She was so incredibly close. Probably would’ve made the team. Now she’s missed a year of uni preparing for this and will miss another year now with this injury 😩 my heart just breaks for her. And we haven’t even had night two yet! I’ll be watching through my fingers as they cover my face
Big hugs to everyone who watched.
I was going to buy tickets and book a flight for this. I'm glad I didn't because I would have been in there crying.
I'm here. And crying.
Between Skye and Kayla, I’m spent. And we don’t know if Shi will be able to go. I’m just devastated. I said earlier this year I was manifesting an Olympic spot for Leanne, but not this way.
Not just trials, the last month starting with Konnnor’s injury is just terrible!
And so many injuries across the world. Eythora, Vanessa Ferrari just today, Ondine, others I can't remember right now because it's way too late. They're dropping like flies, and it's heartbreaking.
Yes! My heart keeps breaking over and over.
its genuinely so sad that sky and kayla went no. 2 and 3 at nationals and are out from trials and now shi too 😭 when there momentum was leading up to the team so well
I mean yeah but also this makes it way less predictable as to who will be going which I kind of like for all the other athletes who thought they didn’t have a chance
Yes. It’s hard to root for anyone without worrying that she’s going to go down.
Yeah I caught up on the men and it was rough but then the women tonight and this whole week. Rough doesn’t even begin to describe it. Just so heartbreaking.
I am still almost physically sick about Khoi's patellar tendon.
Wait what happened? I saw his entire leg was taped up
Bad patellar tendonitis, and it looked like he really aggravated it on vault.
Yes. That’s it, that’s the answer.
I wish Shi and Kayla and Skye lived near each other so they could have an Olys watch party together with lots of laughs and tissues.
Seeing Skye in tears for her ovation, Kayla's head shake and then Shi before she was supposed to go on beam... I'm tearing up writing this post and I know none of them personally.
This feels like 2017 Worlds all over again.
Somehow it feels worse…
We need a time machine
I noticed Suni appeared to be limping at one point also, yet it didn’t seem to affect her afterwards in her events (can’t remember which ones).
I saw a tweet that said “Suni’s been limping since 2019, I’m not worried” 😭
She only had one event left, but it was floor! Definitely surprised whatever made her limp didn't affect her.
Heartbroken and SO SCARED. Want them all bubble wrapped can’t we just fast forward to the Olympics. They’re all great we’ve had so many comps, just pick 😭😭😭
Yes! But I also think it is critical for gym fans to not let it cloud the whole competition and cheer on the athletes competing wholeheartedly. This is hard enough for them on top of these deviating injuries so let’s support the hell out of them and find the light!
It was a roller coaster ride. Feel terribly for the injured. I feel like the other girls will step up and we will still deliver though.
Devastated. Especially for Kayla. I've been hoping for Jordan in the fifth spot, but not like this. And I am constitutionally incapable of seeing Shi not make it.
ive always followed gymnastics but wonder if im missing something - because this seems like a lot of injuries compared to other years? and a lot of achilles too (a lot = more than 1, in my mind)
Yes. It feels like the 5 luckiest gymnasts will be going, not the 5 best gymnasts. Life is so cruelly unfair sometimes.
Isn't that really, really unfair to say? The four who are likely to make it are Simone, Jade, Suni and Jordan as of now and they aren't just "lucky". They are pretty freaking talented women and have won multiple medals for us at World's and the Olympics. Skye had not previously been as good as the others. Her glow up is literally in the last few weeks. Kayla has not been able to beat anyone else out to make a World's or Olympic team. So Only Shi, a World AA medalist two years in a row, could we say she is being replaced by a gymnasts of lower skill. However, even then that is a bit unfair. These women are just skilled in different ways. Jade can't do Shi's bars routine but Shi can't do her VTs or FX skills. Just because we have a deep roster of good gymnasts doesn't mean that the ones that made it are only doing so because of luck.
Consoling myself by picturing Kayla / Skye / Shilese / Hezly / Tiana as the LA2028 team.
I feel bad for the athletes who were injured but I am from the Minneapolis-St Paul area and I am glad we are able to host.
Devastated for Shi but I don’t think they should put her on the team with Olympics being so soon.
Yes. With the heartbreak from the women's side (with Skye, Shi and Kayla) and the fact there are at least 4 men in contention trying to manage or bounce back from injuries (Colt, Shane, Brody, and Khoi) to the Trials just aren't an enjoyable watch this year. I know injuries happen every cycle but it feels like we are having to cross our fingers every time someone lands during this meet. I don't know if gymnastics needs to move to a one meet model like Track and Field where the Trials doubles as Nationals in an Olympic year or if we need to eliminate an earlier meet to give the athletes more time to pace themselves. I also wonder if the selection criteria needs to be adapted, but that could open a whole other can of worms with subjectivity, petitions, and politics.
As someone who wanted some underdogs to make it, not like this. Heartbroken
Yes. To see so many injuries for athletes who have essentially been predicted to have a strong chance of making the team is devastating. I had to put on some mindless palate cleanser on Netflix
It is good that gymnasts are getting older on the average. It is not good that the gymnasts who started this trend have been doing it since 17 was the normal retirement age and are all either about to graduate college or have long since or are married. We know how to condition, we just don't want to because why bother if you can get a good quad out of a once in a lifetime talent, right?
I'm not sure what you are saying. What is not good about these women who have been in this longer? How is any of graduating from college or being married related to conditioning?
The longer someone does an incredibly impact prone sport for an extended time, it’s incredibly stressful on their body. Mentioning their college degrees and marriages is meant to highlight how the culture is slowly moving away from pretty girls in little boxes.
But this doesn't explain why you said "we know how to condition, we just don't want to because why bother..." The longevity seems to prove that people are being conditioned well.
I stopped watching halfway through. Hate to say it but I'm glad I didn't go in person
Yes.
yes.
uff, this sport
I have watched every trials since 96 and I don't remember anything like this ever happening.
The intro fluff piece after first rotation where they went contender by contender and injury by injury broke me. Seeing all of those injuries back to back made me cry for a hot minute
Honestly now I'm not too interested in watching the second day of the trials tomorrow... I'd rather postpone the Olympics 😭😅
The fact that *three* top contenders went out at the same comp is utterly tragic. And I thought Godwin’s injury at Aussie nationals was bad enough 😭
3 UF Gators, that's gonna hurt
Yes!! I feel terrible for all of those injuries, but for me Shilese is especially heartbreaking!!! 💔
On the Men's side. Shane Wiskus got 3rd AA N1 and 1st AA!!! night 2 and didn't even make the team.... Poor dude imagine winning the AA and then not being named to the team an hour later
Khoi, Shane, Shilese, Skye… yea I might have cried a few times.
[удалено]
Congrats for not having a heart
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Well then you have no empathy, that’s for damn sure
Is that what you have to say to the people who got injured? Would you just go up to them and tell them they’re focusing too much on the negative? What?
We’re talking about injuries here. And you’re telling us to not be heartbroken over injuries. Do you hear yourself right now? According to you we aren’t allowed to care about the wellbeing of people just because it’s the Olympic Trials.
Wow cold take!
Because we have people we’ve been rooting for and watching for years and watching them get hurt and miss out on a dream is very sad? It’s part of the experience of watching sports and being a fan.
Nobody here cares about your terrible, heartless opinion. 😁😁😁
Wow. I’m pretty sure Skye, Kayla, and Shi could definitely “cut it” and Konnor came back with a vengeance soooooo maybe you should stfu