The gymnastics world was stunned on June 26, 2024, when Skye Blakely was seen in tears, being wheeled out of the Target Center during US Olympic Trials podium training. Her Paris 2024 dreams seemed to vanish just like that. And guess what? She wasn’t alone in this heartache. The very next day, Shilese Jones, the 21-year-old six-time world medalist, also faced a crushing blow.

On the opening night of the trials, Shilese was clutching her knee in pain during warm-ups. Despite the agony, she delivered an incredible uneven bars routine, scoring a fantastic 14.675. However, that was the end of her journey—USA Gymnastics announced she wouldn’t continue in the trials. So, what’s next for these incredible athletes? Fast forward to July, and days after Shilese Jones shared a heartfelt update with the fans, Skye Blakely too is back and how!

Skye Blakely took to X to share a snippet of her flawless uneven bars routine at WOGA in Frisco, TX, as Kesha’s song TikTok played in the background. Her caption read teasingly, “Looking forward to new skills and possibilities :)” With a Healy, a Ling, and a smooth dismount and landing, it’s clear that she’s not letting anything hold her back.

Gymnastics fan Poor Lawyer (@poorlawyer) even labeled the post with a detailed breakdown: “Inbar 1/2 (D) + Healy (E) + Ling (E) + Layout Jaeger (F) .4, Downie (F) + Pak (D) + VL (E) .3, Double front half (E) .2, 6.9 D.” Talk about a comeback! Leading up to this year’s trials, Blakely was one of the big names to watch for the USA roster. She nailed second place in the all-around at the 2024 Winter Cup and was just behind the legend Simone Biles at the national championships in May. Not only that, she snagged second on vault and third on the uneven bars and balance beam. She even made it to the 2024 USA Gymnastics National Teams.

But this isn’t her first rodeo with Olympic heartbreak. Back at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she had a rough go. During the trials, she tore her ulnar collateral ligament while warming up for vault, which meant left elbow surgery and a sudden end to her Olympic dreams. It looks like Blakely is on the comeback trail, and we can’t wait to see what’s next! Let’s also check out the heartwarming update from Shilese Jones that left the gymternet in tears.

Skye Blakely joins Shilese Jones in healing from gymnastics injuries and broken Olympic dreams

Just days before the exciting return of Skye Blakely on July 16, Shilese Jones dropped a FOMO post on X. She shared a snippet of one of her uneven bars routines, showing off a jaw-dropping Stalder Nabieva to Bhardwaj combo. Plus, it featured her signature move, “the Jones,” which made it into the Junior Olympic Code of Points back in 2014. If you’re wondering, it’s a one-and-a-half twisting double tuck, with the first flip being a twist and the second a front tuck out. Her caption? Just a simple “missing it🥺💔” showing how much she longs to be back in action.

Like Skye Blakely, Shilese Jones is a top contender for the Paris Olympics team. This 21-year-old from Seattle has been racking up world championship medals—six in the past two years alone! At the Core Hydration Classic in May, her only all-around showing this year, Jones proved she’s Team USA’s best bet after Simone Biles, finishing second in the all-around and snagging the uneven bars title. But in a turn of events, she pulled out of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth due to a shoulder injury right before the trials and then came the big upset on the first day of the trials, which shocked the community.

Back in 2021 too, Shilese Jones just missed the Tokyo Olympic team, finishing 10th at trials. That year was especially tough as she also lost her father, who had always been her biggest supporter in her Olympic dreams. As the girls continue to heal from their injuries and the heartbreak of missing out on the Paris Olympics, these updates have brought countless joy to fans. Under Shilese’s post, one fan shared, “Missing you but I trust you’ll be back stronger than ever and on top of the world! no one deserves it more than you. Always rooting for you ❤️‍🩹”

Similarly, below Skye Blakely’s post, a fan commented, “It’s really not too early to put Skye and Shilese on your LA 2028 predictions.” Reflecting on these comments, it’s clear that fans can’t wait to see them back in action. What do you think about these sweet updates after all the chaos? Share your thoughts in the comments below!