Achilles injuries ended Olympic dreams for two U.S. gymnastics contenders. Can they be prevented?

Kayla DiCello had dedicated her entire life to securing a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team. After being named an alternate for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she saw 2024 as her year to shine. As a two-time world medalist, she had already demonstrated her exceptional talent by winning the Winter Cup, the first meet of the season, and finishing third in the all-around at the 2024 U.S. Championships.
However, during the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials on June 27, DiCello’s aspirations were abruptly halted. In her opening routine, she attempted a double-twisting Yurchenko vault, a move she had performed flawlessly countless times before. But this time, instead of completing the two twists, she fell to the floor upon landing. Looking up at her coach with tears in her eyes, DiCello shook her head, knowing something was terribly wrong. At just 20 years old, she had ruptured her Achilles tendon, necessitating her removal from the competition floor in a wheelchair and putting her Olympic dream on hold once again.
DiCello was not alone in her misfortune. She was the third top contender for the five-member Paris Olympic team to sustain a season-ending injury at the trials in Minneapolis. Hers was also the second Achilles injury of the week. Skye Blakely, the runner-up to Simone Biles at the U.S. Championships, had similarly ruptured an Achilles tendon while training a tumbling pass on the floor exercise just days earlier.
Dr. Michael Canales, a foot and ankle surgeon specializing in Achilles injuries in gymnastics, was not surprised by the spate of injuries at the trials. Canales, a former NCAA gymnast himself, explained, “Emphasizing difficulty and amplifying training demands creates a recipe for disaster. When these factors are coupled with the heightened demands of an Olympic year, the outcome is unsurprising.”
A 2021 study published in the journal Sports Health found that the risk of Achilles injuries in collegiate women’s gymnastics was ten times higher than in any other college sport. The rigorous training schedules of elite gymnasts involve repetitive motions that predispose them to overuse injuries.
"The repetitive forces from dismounts, vaults, and tumbling can lead to micro-tears, causing degeneration of the tendon, loss of elasticity, and eventual rupture," Canales explained. He noted that gymnasts typically train barefoot or in minimal footwear, which offers little support and cushioning for the Achilles tendons, making them more susceptible to injury.
An Achilles tendon rupture usually involves a "forceful eccentric load" on the tendon, or "lengthening the tendon while it is under tension," Canales said. The "take-off" skills performed by elite gymnasts, such as the lead-ups to Yurchenko vaults and backward tumbling passes, are common triggers for Achilles injuries, according to a 2023 study published in the journal *Orthopedics*.
Elite gymnasts often start intensive training at young ages and can spend up to 40 hours per week in the gym. While gymnasts like Simone Biles, who is 27, are breaking age barriers for longevity in the sport, prolonged careers also lead to greater degradation of the Achilles tendons over time.
Moreover, the tumbling surfaces at major competitions like the Olympic trials tend to have less padding than the softer mats gymnasts land on in their home training gyms, making injuries on these public stages more common.
Blakely described her Achilles injury at the trials as "unavoidable" in an Instagram post. "This is not the way I saw my Olympic trials going or how my season ends," Blakely said. "I’m devastated and heartbroken, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I was so close to reaching my dream, but this injury was unavoidable."
Despite the high risk of injury, there are preventive measures that the sport could adopt to decrease the incidence of Achilles injuries, according to Canales. These include serial MRI scans, pre-emptive interventions for tendon pain, and periodic reviews of competition and training videos to identify athletes at risk.
"Training methods must evolve swiftly to match the escalating demands," Canales said. He emphasized that the current protocols are inconsistent and "arbitrary," calling for more systematic guidelines across the sport rather than relying on decisions by individual athletes, coaches, and parents.
The typical recovery period after an Achilles tendon repair operation is six to twelve months, involving immobilization, physical therapy, and a gradual return to dynamic and high-impact activities. Even after gymnasts return to the sport, they face a higher risk of rupturing the Achilles tendons on their opposite legs, Canales noted.

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Good news....hopefully the recommendations will be implemented. Both gymnasts would if shined in Paris....❤❤❤