2024 was supposed to be her big elite debut. But alas, Konnor McClain had been gone too long from the mats. Her bid to step on the international stage at the Xfinity Championships failed due to an injury, and with that, her Olympic dream was put on ice too. But nearly six months later, there’s finally a glimmer of hope!

A few days back, LSU announced McClain’s return to the side for her sophomore season. Her social media army was also quick to notice that her practice sessions in the gym were officially back. And now, there are more positive updates rolling in, from both McClain’s coach and the young gun herself!

LSU head coach Jay Clark confirms McClain’s fitness

Appearing on the All Things Gymnastics podcast, LSU Gymnastics’ head coach, Jay Clark spilled the beans on Konnor McClain’s health. The podcast host cited how a lot of fans were sincerely anticipating an update on McClain and if she will be seen through the NCAA 2024-2025 season. This led to a pleasant surprise update from the coach’s end. He assured, “Oh, you will, you you will. I I’m, my, my gut says she’ll start the season on bars and beam.”

Clark further explained that Konnor McClain is fully ready on the bars, although her progress on the beam might be looking a tad slower since she’s not doing full sets. However, things look good to go overall, as Clark confirms, “She’s been doing full routines for a hot minute. And, and so that’s, that’s in a good place. And we just started landing the dismount this week on the regular competition surfaces, but we’re still on top of a resi pit, but okay.”

Amidst this, the 2024 NCAA team champion Konnor McClain took to her Instagram and posted an update that everybody had been waiting for with bated breath. With an image of her donning an LSU leotard, she announced her return for her second collegiate season, “See y’all at the pmac in two weeks..” she wrote. Something about her enthusiasm says that she’s right back in the race to surpass her 8 individual titles and 3 perfect tens from the previous year.

Although Clark confirmed that McClain’s steering clear of the super hard landings, it looks like she’s doing great overall and has recovered significantly from the mighty blow she suffered earlier this year.

The injury that sidelined Konnor McClain for months

Konnor McClain entered the Core Hydration Classic, probably feeling the most confident she had ever been. And well, she deserved that moment of glory, after helping LSU to their first-ever NCAA win, followed by another SEC Championship title. However, the gymnast did not leave Connecticut feeling the same as she had to bow out of the competition after facing a devastating fall at the event.

McClain was preparing for her floor routine, but as fate would have it, she never made it that far. The gymnast ended up getting an Achilles Tendon injury during the warmups and had to be carried out of the arena seated in a wheelchair. Subsequently, McClain showed up online to thank the fans who had been supporting her like a rock. Vis-à-vis her injury, she had to undergo surgery in May, yet her coach was rather confident that she’d be back on the mats in no time.

Back then, Jay Clark had vouched his assurance, “If the rehab goes the way we think, she could be ready on bars and beam, to start the season and we’ll see how the rest goes.“ While this had enraged a few fans who felt the team was pushing her recovery, it now seems like a well-framed plan that worked out! What do you think? Are you excited to witness McClain working magic for LSU this season too? Share your thoughts with us below!