Brody Malone went down with a bang in 2023 at the DTB Pokal event in Germany, signalling an injury-marred year, but no worry as he’s back with a flourish. Malone’s meteoric rise to the forefront happened in the gymnastics scene after dethroning 6X USA champion Sam Mikulak. The 24-year-old gymnast gained recognition internationally while representing the U.S. Men’s Team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The whole world was waiting with bated breath for the 2X All-Around champion to return to the mat after his injury. But in 2023, his path took an unforeseen twist as he encountered the aforementioned setback.

Despite this, Malone made a gradual comeback at the Winter Cup earlier this year with reinvigorated vigor and getting his routines back on track. With the mega games in his peripheral vision, he was once doubtful of getting to this stage. His achievements in 2024, culminating with his first event in Feb, despite his own insecurities, have left the nation in awe. As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, we reflect on Malone’s journey of triumph and setbacks.

Brody Malone and his never say die attitude 

In a recent exclusive interview with Gymnastics Now, gymnast Brody Malone opened up about the intricate details surrounding his injury. Reflecting on the dastardly DTB Pokal fall in Germany, Malone shared, “The whole routine, the bar felt fine. And then I just did the dismount, tap, and it was my left hand, just peeled.” Still Malone was resolved to beat Daiki Hashimoto by landing the dismount. Fuelled by competitive spirit, he tried to stick the landing. However, he faced an injury instead. The injury, called tibial plateau fracture, was a painful one. Malone said, “So when my leg dislocated, where the femur and tibia meet, the tibia kind of rotated and went [the wrong way] and a little piece of the top chipped off and fractured, like completely away from the bone.”

He was immediately admitted to a hospital where doctors let him know he would be under bed rest. The recovery took 6 months, after which he could only do “small landings or jumping off blocks.” During this time, Malone had completely written off the floor and vault events. Even forgoing the Olympic dream, saying, “I highly doubt I’ll be able to get back on those [by Paris].” He had lost all hope. But, the most amazing renaissance transpired. Malone made a remarkable comeback at the 2024 Winter Cup in February. Malone scored impressively, earning a 13.950 on the Pommel Horse and a 12.850 on the Parallel Bars.

Winning a bronze at the parallel bars event, he said, “The routine I did on rings at Winter Cup has a new skill in it that I’ve been working at that adds a tenth to my routine.” He made history again at the Xfinity USA national championships where he came out on top and took the lead. The gymnast was all smiles as he described the experience of landing his dismount this time, “pretty awesome”. He beat Frederick Richard to the top spot with an all around score of 85.95. His individual performances were exceptional, with scores of 14.4 on Still Rings, 14.10 on Pommel Horse, 14.00 on Floor, and 14.55 on Parallel Bars. It seems like the athlete is finding his groove and right in the nick of time too. 

Quest for gold: Brody Malone’s Olympic aspirations

Before his injury, people viewed Malone as a key player for the men’s USA gymnastics team. Despite facing challenges, Brody Malone’s strong faith and determination drive him towards healing and achieving success. In a renowned podcast, Malone expressed gratitude for representing his country in the Olympics, stating, “The best part about competing in the Olympics is representing your country. I am super grateful for that,” as heard in the Last In Line podcast by John Shibley.

His contribution to the effort of returning to the podium since 2008 was considerable. Despite facing setbacks, he expressed, “I knew from the beginning that I was going to be in a place where my leg was healthy enough, then I was definitely going to try to do all or nothing”. Going forward, Malone said, with Paris on her periphery. His outstanding performance at the Xfinity Games serves as a major boost for the US national team.

Brody has also made some changes to his routine to better prepare for the Olympics and avoid injury, especially a Maltese push to straight punch on the rings. Malone told NBC, “The plan right now is to try and get back in the all-around.” As the competition gets serious, Malone is doing his best to maintain his health and nail his routines. Although his PCL remains unhealed, he has undergone surgeries to heal his LCL. He also emphasized on the importance of “building difficulty” in the routine to get a chance at medaling at the Olympics. Malone also emphasized the significance of mental health, revealing his recent struggles with it. He expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of his family, friends, coaches, and trainers throughout his career. He’s hopeful that this is the year the men’s USA gymnastics team brings back gold.