Why is Trinity Thomas not competing at Paris Olympics 2024? All about the event that forced the American out of competition

Trinity Thomas is set to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics following an unfortunate injury she suffered last month during the US Gymnastics Championships. This incident prevented the Pennsylvania native from trying to qualify for the US Olympic Gymnastics Trials held in Minneapolis last month.

Thomas slipped while performing a double layout and fell during the floor exercises apparatus in the Championships, leading to her absence from the rest of the tournament. Thomas subsequently failed to obtain a qualifying score for the Trials and missed out on a spot on the US Gymnastics team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Thomas returned to the elite gymnastics mat earlier this year in February following a long hiatus from the elite circuit. She made her first appearance in the Winter's Cup 2024 and performed reasonably well which saw her finish fourth in the all-around events.

After withdrawing from the Pacific Rim Championships 2024, Thomas returned to the mat during the Core Hydration Classic. She executed her skill set quite well and finished fourth in the uneven bars apparatus. However, Thomas' all-around score was quite low and she finished ninth in the list.

Following the Classic, Thomas participated in the US Gymnastics Championships intending to qualify for the Trials. However, she had to skip the entire tournament due to the aforementioned fall.

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Why did Trinity Thomas take a long break from her elite gymnastics career?

Trinity Thomas at the 2024 Winter's Cup (Image via: Getty Images)

Following a superb performance at the 2018 Pan American Championships (gold medal in team, two silvers in the all-around and uneven bars), Trinity Thomas took a long break from the elite gymnastics circuit to focus entirely on her collegiate career with the Florida Gators.

Following a successful five years with the Gators during which she won three NCAA gold medals and three silver medals between 2018 and 2023, Thomas returned to the elite circuit last year at the Winter's Cup 2024.

Thomas elaborated on her aspirations during an interview with InsideGymnastics last year. She stated:

"It’s one more year. This is something I still love, something that I still want to do. I still have fuel in the tank and we’re going to find out how much, but I’m so excited and just can’t wait to continue my journey."