The Core Hydration Classic didn’t go well for all the participants. While Simone Biles added another feather to her already decorated cap, for gymnasts like Gabby Douglas and Konnor McClain, the event wouldn’t go down as a particularly memorable one. The weekend tournament was the first stepping stone for Paris, and the LSU star McClain was understandably not thrilled at her wobbly run in Connecticut. However, with fans standing firm in her corner, it seems like she’s slowly getting back on her feet.

McClain and the LSU Tigers lifted their first-ever NCAA title earlier this year, following up their SEC Championship win in style. With that, bigger prizes beckoned the national champion, and she was eager to respond, but the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships qualifying event didn’t bode well. However, McClain is coming to terms with her misfortune and has to take a moment to nod her hat to her cheerleaders.

In her recent post on X, Konnor thanked fans for being by her side even when she couldn’t give them the results they had hoped for in Hartford last week. “i also wanted to thank all of you for all the kind messages! appreciate all of the words from you guys!” wrote the gymnastics star in her post. Only an hour ago, McClain took to social media with requests for help to find her warmup videos from Core Hydration, and fans must have taken the opportunity to extend their sympathies for her bad luck.

“sending all the love“, wrote McClain’s post, acknowledging the appreciation she has received after her tumble. Now, it waits to be seen how the youngster bounces back from the incident and uses the experience in the upcoming NCAA season. While McClain does seem to be in a good mood after last weekend’s disaster, one can’t help but ponder how things could have played out differently had her routines gone smoothly.

Konnor McClain’s Olympic dreams were cut short

Konnor’s relationship with injuries isn’t something new. Sidelined by hand and back injuries, McClain had to watch her colleagues perform while sitting out most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. To find her mojo back, the gymnast joined the LSU Tigers to be surrounded by like-minded colleagues who would support her plans without deliberation.

In an interview in January, McClain confessed going to Paris was the one thing that motivated her to push herself every day. “My number one goal is still the Olympics…To make that team… I’m still training some skills, so I gotta get back in that elite groove and elite skills and everything,” Konnor told Olympics.com.

Being around Jay Clark and his team also helped. In April this year, she opened up how her perception of gymnastics changed significantly compared to last year. “I never knew gymnastics could be this fun,” she said. And yet, despite having her start to the Core Hydration to be an optimistic one, Konnor failed to end the night on a high note and instead was spotted on crutches after her Achilles tendon was injured during the floor warm-up.

However, without the Olympics on the calendar for the LSU star, she can focus more on her recovery and get back into the groove in the coming months when she is called upon to defend the national title.