Skye Blakely is in no mood to keep herself at the corner. She firmly believes in seeing herself among the hopefuls for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. After all, four years later, the greatest show in the world will come to her home. So missing such a chance is not in her book. Because of her Achilles injury this year, she had to miss the US Olympic gymnastics trials. Despite being a favorite to snag an Olympic medal, she had to watch the Games from thousands of miles away, in her home place in Texas. Therefore, the phenom is in her moves. 

Recently, Blakely’s training clip has sparked excitement about her potential quick return to the mat. However, another update has surfaced, confirming her desire to make a comeback. While this has fueled anticipation, her fans are left with some serious concerns that need addressing. The uncertainty surrounding her return raises questions, and they are eager for clarity.

Skye Blakely drops another hint from the Gators’ gym 

On November 19, Skye Blakely uploaded a quick clip in her Instagram story. The clip showcases her full bar routine while the Florida Gators’ gymnastics assistant head coach Owen Field keeps a watch on her from a distance. Interestingly, the clip does not show her dismounting or any landing. So has her Achilles tear not healed yet? Nonetheless, Skye captioned the clip with the words, “puttin it together 🙂 @coachowenfield” Meanwhile, in the clip, Owen can be seen worrying about nothing. Rather, the assistant coach seems to be satisfied watching the former world champion’s movements on the bar. Notably, just a week before, Blakely shared another clip showing her drills in Gators’ gym. 

On November 12, Skye Blakely dropped a clip in her Instagram story. At that time as well, it was her bar routine, minus dismount. Furthermore, she did the routine in a lower bar, keeping almost a meter in height from the base. Just like this time, Owen Field had his presence in that clip, as well. But in the previous snippet, the assistant coach could be seen helping his mentee keep the balance on the bar. Altogether, the drill could give an alien vibe. Blakely may have realized this vibe beforehand. How? Well, she kept the caption, “new skill?” But almost 150 days after her Achilles injury, the back-to-back clips have failed to garner positive emotions among her fans. Rather, they are frightened of something. 

The gymnastics fans are not feeling “too excited” at seeing the return 

Being a vital cog in the Florida Gators’ squad, Skye Blakely perfectly knows coach Jenny Rowland and Owen Field’s impact on her career. Moreover, she has closely noticed her teammate Leanne Wong’s transformation. Notably, Wong had her chance in two world championship squads and as an alternate in the Paris Olympics squad. So Blakely may get a similar boost in the tutelage of Gators’ masters. Her trust made it into the public when she said, “Knowing that I have coaches who have done that before and can balance both, that also helps me.” But her fans think Skye is taking her chances too early. 

On Reddit, one such fan penned, “Tbh it would be incredibly stupid to push for an NCAA season and ruin a 2028 run or continuing for the rest of college.” Folks, the NCAA gymnastics season is just 45 days away, and the teenage gymnast is in her freshman phase. Next year, she will enter her freshman year and will get an opportunity to show up in more matches at the NCAA level. Therefore, a hurry can be seen to complete her year. But wouldn’t it put a huge risk on her fitness level? That led another to take note of the situation. 

This time, the fan put in, “For her sake, I hope they’re not trying to rush it. My gut is telling me they want her as ready as possible for potential use post-season if necessary/she’s willing to give up a redshirt year (I think she should still have one in addition to the Olympic training deferral).” In 2022, Skye Blakely put her sign in the National Letter of Intent with the Gators. Since then, she has been a member. However, it is not clear yet regarding her Olympic training deferral. But signs confirm her yearning to enter the season to shed the red shirt tag. Meanwhile, fans brought up Kayla DiCello’s topic. 

Like Skye Blakely, she also had to face an injury during the Olympic trials. And she is also showing signs of making her gymnastics return in the upcoming NCAA season. But she is in her sophomore year for the Gators. So fans think that she should also be given a chance to heal herself. One such comment read, “Surely Florida push Skye and Kayla to redshirt? It’s a fifth year and their lineups are already SO good that it seems like a waste to use them. You’ve got to think at least one of them will redshirt?” With Anya Pilgrim, Riley McCusker, Selena Harris-Miranda, and Leanne Wong in the lineup, the lineup seems to be impressive. So fans have suggested allowing both Skye and Kayla a year off to heal their injuries and make their comeback hassle-free. That led another fan to chime in with the same comment, almost. 

This time, the gymnastic fan wrote, “Unpopular opinion, but I’d rather Skye and Kayla take the year off of competing so they get to compete 4 years at full strength instead of having one year with only one event. Most importantly, I hope they are making the choices that are best for their health and their future.” But will a year gap be enough to make their comeback seamless?

Someone pointed that out with the comment, “I don’t want to get too excited since this might just be about keeping her in shape for when she’s eventually ready to compete, but I also don’t know how long a torn Achilles takes to heel, so your guess is as good as mine.” Nonetheless, Skye Blakely is showing her hope to make a comeback. And in the past few days, her movements seemed to be painless. After all, she will have to take the final call. Till then, fans, you can keep guessing.