?Where Dreams Go to Die:? America Devastated as 17-Year-Old?s Freak Accident Creates Major Upset for Team USA at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2023

Simone Biles, Skye Blakey, Shilese Jones, Joscelyn Roberson, Leanne Wong, and Kayla DiCello were ready for the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Team USA was on a mission to secure the seventh consecutive team title. And they did! But the price they had to pay was big. Just moments before the competition commenced, fate gave them a devastating blow.

During the warm-ups, shocking news emerged for the youngest team member, who is just 17 years of age. This young athlete placed third in AA at the Core Hydration Classic this year and also finished second behind the legend Simone Biles at the same competition on floor exercise and vault. However, that same vault would become her Achilles heel.

Heart-breaking accident at the World Gymnastics Championships

Joscelyn Roberson got injured at the vault and had to be carried away. This event broke many hearts in America. According to a post on X by ‘Gymnastics Now’, ?Joscelyn Roberson (USA) is injured on VT in warm-ups. She is being carried off.? As the girls prepared for their event during the warm-up session, a collective gasp of disbelief swept through the crowd. Roberson came off short attempting to land the Cheng on vault, resulting in a fall that injured her leg.

Images from the night also showed Roberson being carried by Coach Laurent Landi off the podium after her injury, and she was even spotted using crutches to walk later. This injury led to Leanne Wong filling in on vault and floor exercises for the talented Roberson.

The gymnastics community and fans worldwide were quick to express their sadness about this heartbreaking turn of events. They also provided great insights into the situation. Knowing what led to this accident and its history would shock any gymnastics enthusiast.

Americans express their grief; Remember the biggest mistake in Olympic history

Just before the championship team finals, Roberson had even posted an Instagram reel of herself as she got ready for the finals. Her excitement was visible as she wrote, “I must be dreaming TEAM FINALSS”. The heartbreaking news came just hours after this post, with fans pouring in their concern for the young star.

One fan expressed their anguish for the young athlete. Similarly, many others were worried about Roberson.

Another fan analyzed the situation. They felt the landing wasn’t the best.

Roberson’s injury reminded a social media user of the 2000 Sydney Games. Gymnast Elise Ray was a top contender until it came to the vault. She happened to flip at an awkward angle and this led to her landing on her neck. But things got much worse. Surprisingly, 17 other gymnasts also made errors while on the vault. But it wasn’t their fault. The vault had been set two inches low. Many consider this to be one of the biggest mistakes in Olympic history.

As the gymnast was seen using crutches to walk, some people feared the worst.

Roberson was very excited about the event, but her injury sidelined her. Knowing this saddened a supporter.

The emotional outpouring on social media showed the deep connection fans have with their favorite athletes. However, despite this heartbreak, Team USA surged ahead, adding a seventh team World Championship Title under their belt.

Read more: Previous Champion Rebeca Andrade Sidelined as Team USA Dominates at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2023

After their massive victory in 2019, Team USA returned this year, with great gusto and clinched gold. The total standings of the night for Team USA were a massive 167.729 points, leaving Brazil trailing at 2nd with a score of 165.530 and France 3rd with 164.064.

Despite facing the painful fall, Joscelyn Roberson was seen celebrating with her team at the end of the night with a huge proud smile on her face for her country.

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