"8 weeks post achilles rupture repair"- Skye Blakely shares a glimpse of her return to gymnastics after missing the Paris Olympics due to injury

US gymnast Skye Blakely marked her return to the gymnastic mat, eight weeks after her Achilles injury repair. She had withdrawn from the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics team trials after sustaining a setback during official floor practice. The 19-year-old was vying for her maiden Olympics appearance in Paris.

Blakely started her season strong at the 2024 Winter Cup, winning the balance beam title and silver in the all-around. She placed second in the all-around behind Simone Biles at the 2024 National Championships, winning silver on vault and bronze on uneven bars and balance beam as well.

After earning a qualification for the Olympic trials, Blakely sustained an Achilles injury during official practice.

In her recent Instagram post, Blakely provided an update about her return to the gymnastics mat, eight weeks after her Achilles injury repair. She performed a beam maneuver while her gym mates cheered her on.

"back on beam🕺🏽✨| 8 weeks post achilles rupture repair," the 19-year-old's caption read.

Ahead of the US Olympic trials, the two-time World gold medalist was attempting a double layout on the floor exercise when she suffered the setback. The staff members carried the tearful phenom off the podium and she left in a wheelchair shortly after.

The Texas native is not a stranger to Olympic misfortune as she had injured her elbow in the final vault warm-up at the 2021 US Olympic trials. The incident compelled her to withdraw from both the competition nights.

Skye Blakely was determined to make the US gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics

Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Antwerp 2023. - Source: Getty

At the 2021 National Championships, the teenage gymnast finished seventh in the all-around, easily advancing to the Olympic trials before she injured her elbow. She was back in form at the 2022 World Championships as an integral part of the gold-winning US gymnastics team.

A year later, she was also a member of the gold-winning squad at the 2023 World Championships. Reflecting on her journey, Skye Blakely called the 2021 trials qualification a surprise but exuded confidence going into 2024.

“I believe I am a lot more experienced and I know what to expect a lot more and overall more confident going into this year. I’d say in 2021, it was kind of a surprise, just not sure, just going to go with the flow. But now, I feel like I’m a little more determined this year," she said. (via Olympics.com)

Blakely was devastated after missing her second Olympic entry but believed it happened for a reason. She expressed gratitude for the 2024 season and promised to keep her 'chin high'.