Not many people were prepared to see the USA take a major blow to the guts so early into the Paris Games. With Brody Malone crashing out of the All-Around gold race, the country’s gymnastics fans are still reeling from the shock. Falling thrice (once on the pommel horse, and twice on the high bars), the former Stanford gymnast seems to be standing miles away from his maiden Olympic gold, and the community can’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

After a devastating leg injury in March last year, the 24-year-old showed a lot of grit as he came back to win the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships this year. With that, fans braced themselves in the hope that the 2022 World Championships high bar gold medalist could bring golden glory to the country. But it wasn’t to be, and Malone’s fans are justifiably left heartbroken.

A post by Turbo Leaks on X from hours ago shared how Brody’s falls from yesterday took him out of the competition. “2024 Paris Olympics: Top USA gymnast Brody Malone out of all-around race after struggling in qualifications,” reads the caption of the post. While Malone didn’t get the top spot at the US Olympic Team Trials last month, his 170.300 overall score wasn’t too shabby either. Coupled with how he was showcasing his abilities leading up the Paris Games, not many expected him to meet a snag so soon at the tournament.

The injury Brody suffered last year at the World Cup event was a horrific one, to say the least. The “fluke accident” impacted several limbs and Brody almost gave up the idea to make the national team for his second Olympics. However, with help from his coaches and father, Malone bounced back impeccably. For obvious reasons, his latest fumble is causing fans to feel the pain more acutely.

Brody Malone’s fans in mourning after yesterday’s fall

Since Brody’s misfortune was seen by fans back at home via the Peacock livestream, social media has been flooded by brooding words from gymnastics connoisseurs who were rooting for the reigning national AA champ. “My heart actually broke when Brody Malone fell,” said Alex in his post on X, noting how bad he feels for the 10-time NCAA gold medalist.

If Malone managed to execute his routines to the best of his abilities, he would have helped the team step closer to the gold in Paris, a feat Team USA hasn’t achieved since the Beijing Olympics 2008. Naturally, his misstep is being felt more impactfully everywhere back home. Referring to how one of the nation’s best stars didn’t rise to the occasion, Emily commented, “Gutted for Brody Malone. Worst possible day to have his worst meet ever“. 

“I ended up landing really funky and dislocating my knee and fracturing my tibial plateau., tore my medial meniscus. Tore my LCL, posterior lateral corner, and partially tore my PCL,” Malone said about his injuries from last year. From his statement, it’s easy to comprehend the intensity of the fall which makes his comeback journey all the more sensational. One fan-run page on X exclaimed, hailing Brody for his determination to get back on his two feet after his ordeal, “…for someone who came back from a nearly career ending injury, this is heartbreaking.”

The high bars are one of Malone’s strongest points. In both the US Gymnastics Championships as well as the Team Trials, Brody posed consistently high scores in the routine and was expected to carry the same momentum to the Olympics as well. However, since that didn’t happen, Anna couldn’t be sadder to see the gymnast’s troubles come in his strongest suit. “Oh my gosh, that was devastating for Brody Malone (US). Not one, but two falls on his best event,” lamented the fan.

For Team USA, winning gold in men’s gymnastics would mean the world, considering it’s been 16 years since the country earned a top-of-the-podium finish on the biggest stage. With that, Jennifer’s comment “Brody Malone wasn’t great at Olympic trials and that seems to have carried over to the Olympics. I hoped he’d get it together but it looks like he’s still struggling,” perfectly mirrors the sad feeling that’s reigning the minds of all gymnastics fans in the country.

Were you also rooting for the Stanford star to mirror his NCAA success at the French metropolitan? Tell us in the comments how you felt seeing him fall.