"I'm going to keep my chin high and be proud" - Skye Blakely pens heartfelt note after pulling out of the U.S. Olympic Trials due to an injury

In a heartbreaking turn of events, gymnast Skye Blakely’s dreams of making it to the Paris Olympics have been shattered due to injury. Performing at the podium training session of the U.S Olympic Trials on Thursday, June 27, the American ruptured her achilles, subsequently withdrawing from the competition. In light of this, she penned a heartfelt note to fans about her goals moving forward.

Going into the Trials at Minneapolis, Blakely was a heavy favorite to make the team. She began her year looking stronger than ever at the 2024 Winter Cup. While there, she was crowned champion in her specialty event, the balance beam, and walked away with silver in the all-around.

The American then went on to compete at the US Gymnastics Championships, where she debuted a new Cheng vault to prove her prowess outside of the beam as well. This new addition to her routine saw her score a silver in the all-around and vault behind Simone Biles and a bronze on the balance beam and uneven bars.

This performance made Skye Blakely one of the most anticipated gymnasts at the US Olympic Trials. However, performing in the last half an hour of the official practice session for the competition on Thursday, the 19-year-old injured herself while attempting a double layout on the floor. She received immediate medical attention, being carried off the podium by staff, before leaving the stadium in a wheelchair.

Detailing her feelings about the unfortunate injury, Blakey wrote on X (formerly Twitter),

“Unfortunately I ruptured my achilles during podium training. This is not the way I saw my Olympic trials going or how my season ends. I’m going to keep my chin high and be proud of the statement I have made for myself these past couple years. I’ll be back🤍 proverbs 3:5.”

This isn't the first time Skye Blakely has had to deal with an unfortunate injury at the US Olympic Trials. Competing at the competition before the 2021 Tokyo Games, the gymnast had injured her elbow during vault warmups, tearing the ulnar collateral ligament.

What is next for Skye Blakely?

With her dreams of making her Olympic debut at the Paris Games coming to a sudden halt, Skye Blakely will likely shift her attention to her collegiate career after recovering from her ruptured Achilles. Blakely originally signed with the Florida Gators fall of 2022.

‘I have always dreamed of going to the Olympics, and with Paris 2024 coming up, I am officially announcing that I will be deferring my NCAA career. I will use this time to continue to train at home to pursue my goal of making it to the Olympics. I will join the University of Florida fall of 2024. I am very thankful and blessed for this opportunity! Go Gators!”

As a two-time World Champion and three-time Pan American Championships medalist, Skye Blakely will make a valuable addition to the Florida Gators team in the coming season.