Gators Gymnastics will be looking to make the most of the upcoming season. Aiming for a title run, the Gators wanted to bank on their two biggest pillars—Skye Blakely and Kayla Di’Cello. And surely enough, both the gymnasts have been showing enough promise to get themselves on a higher pedestal. For example, ahead of the Paris Olympics, both Blakely and Di’Cello were potential medal contenders. 

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite turn out in the manner that they expected. Both Blakely and Di’Cello suffered heartbreaking injuries that ended their Olympic dreams. And to make matters worse, the duo are still reeling from their injury woes. For example, Kayla Di’Cello nursed her ACL injury for 6 months. Just when the fans thought that she was ready for a comeback, Di’Cello had another piece of bad news. Uploading a picture of her left foot bandaged heavily, Di’Cello revealed that she would be having yet another surgery. Thus, with no other option left, the Gators have brought in a surprise entrant to their team. 

In a recent update on their official handle, Gators Gymnastics wrote, “Breaking news… 𝗟𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶 is our newest addition.” Now, this is quite a surprise, as Bui is just 16 years old. Her high school graduation year is slated to be 2025. Thus, coming into the Gators’ program at such a young age, Bui riled up the gymnastics community. For the uninitiated, Bui has been a regular participant in the US gymnastics program. 

She took part in the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships and along with the Core Hydration Classic this year. Putting up a remarkable performance, Bui finished 7th all-around in the 2023 Xfinity US Championships. She also clinched 4th place in the uneven bars, missing out on a medal narrowly. As far as the previous year’s Core Hydration Classic is concerned, Bui emerged 5th all-around and 6th in the vaults.

Surely, looking at her impressive record, Bui can be a suitable replacement for Kayla Di’Cello. Now, as far as Skye Blakely is concerned, her status too is not looking confirmed. After suffering a gruesome injury, she is still not dismounting with full force. This keeps her participation in some serious jeopardy. Thus, keeping in mind the variables, it surely appears that the decision to include Ly Bui on the roster is a smart move. Meanwhile, her inclusion has ruffled up quite some feathers among the fans.

Fans were left in shock knowing of Ly Bui’s age after her NCAA inclusion 

As soon as the news of Ly Bui getting into the Gators roster was announced, fans flocked to the comment section to chime in with their take. Fans were left shocked to know the fact the new member who has joined the Gators’ roster of gymnasts is just 16. One fan threw light upon the fact that the athlete must have completed her high school days way before the usual or conventional age. The comment read, “She must’ve graduated high school reallll early”.

After the upsetting news surrounding the injury updates of Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello, the Gators fans were left disheartened. However, the announcement of Ly Bui joining the team has made several fans enthusiastic and hopeful yet again. One such fan shared their enthusiasm and wrote, “Yes!! So excited she’s here for this season! 🐊💙🧡”. The fans are now hopeful that the Gators might finally pull off a fiery performance in the upcoming season despite all the setbacks. Another commenter who has been left in awe knowing her age added, “I’m so happy to see her but isn’t she like 16????”

The fact that she would be competing officially as an NCAA athlete at the age of 16 amazed several netizens. Going by her age, she was supposed to be in her high school. One fan commented, “Wasn’t she originally a class of 2026? I can’t imagine being in college that young 😭.” The fan also acknowledged that her competing at the NCAA level at the age of just 16 was a huge feat. Another fan echoed the same emotion and commented, “she’s 16? omg”.

Ly Bui joining the Gators squad at just 16 would shower her with ample opportunities. And from just 16, she would hopefully get the chance to flourish and gear up for her future ventures. “crazy and she’s literally 16 she should be a junior in high school 😭 but her lines will be amazing in college so 🤷🏻‍♀️,” commented one fan, emphasizing the same. Thus, with things getting chaotic for the Gators, it remains to be seen how well they can craft their upcoming season.