Haleigh Bryant is surely one of the biggest strengths of LSU gymnastics. Her incredible performance last year propelled Olivia Dunne’s team to the NCAA title. And now that the team is looking to redo the same, Bryant was supposed to play a pivotal role. Unfortunately, those thoughts have taken a backseat as of now. This was because Bryant injured herself just ahead of their NCAA season debut. Trying her routines on the vault at the Gymnastics 101 event last month, Bryant had an uncharacteristic fall and got injured. And it is quite a serious one as she suffered an Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL). 

The UCL remains a crucial part of a gymnast’s body because it links the upper and forearm bones. Thus, an injury to the UCL means that Bryant cannot perform complicated skills at the moment. Adding to the woes further, ligament injuries generally take much longer to heal than muscles. Thus, the season opener against Iowa is not the only game that Bryant might have missed. Despite coach Jay Clark maintaining a positive mindset about her speedy return, the LSU star will probably need some more time. 

However, despite her setback, Haleigh Bryant is not the one to sit back and sulk. The 23-year-old constantly seeks out ways to speed up her recovery and let her do her business as usual. And it is this zeal for consistency that sets her apart from the rest. In a January 5, 2025 interview with Nola.com, Bryant’s parents doubled down on why their daughter was such a league ahead of the rest. Reflecting on the same, Trisha Bryant, her mother, stated, “She’s up in the morning at 7:30 to get her coffee.” 

She further added, “Then she’s going to get her work down. She’s got a schedule written out. She’s so organized, it’s incredible. I’m like, Who are you and where did you get that?'”

Surely, Bryant’s ability to relentlessly repeat her routine at the elite level has put her at the summit. In an era where NIL deals are given more importance than solid performances, the 23-year-old has kept a steady head. Chiming in with more insight, Haleigh’s proud father, Terry Bryant, stated, “But she doesn’t want to let anyone down.” Surely, her parents are right. After all, one cannot just win six SEC Gymnast of the Week awards without being overly consistent.

Bryant also won the NCAA all-around title last year, establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA realm. Quite expected, such a meteoric rise has caught the attention of renowned gymnasts worldwide. Likewise, an Olympian has some big praises to shower on Haleigh Bryant. 

Haleigh Bryant receives immense praise from Bridget Sloan

The hype with Haleigh Bryant is getting bigger as her final NCAA season approaches. And there are good reasons for the same. A look back at the previous season will reveal that Bryant had notched up scores above 9.950 on 31 occasions! Now that’s a statement to make for a gymnast.

Thus, her injury setback takes nothing away from her, according to Olympian Bridget Sloan. Sloan competed at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and then went on to win the 2009 world championships. 

The world champion gymnast also added how watching Bryant is a sublime experience for her fans. Sloan added, “She brings this athletic ability that is just so rare.”

Concluding the video, Sloan hoped it would not be long before Bryant recovered and returned to continue her magic on the mats for LSU. Thus, with good wishes pouring in, it now remains to be seen how fast Haleigh Bryant can take centerstage once again.