Gymnastics Injury Report: Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello Complete Two-Year Achilles Comebacks

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials were supposed to be a coronation for Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello. Instead, the weekend became a nightmare. Both elite gymnasts suffered catastrophic Achilles tendon ruptures on the competition floor, abruptly ending their dreams of competing in Paris.[1][6]

In gymnastics, an Achilles tear was once considered a career death knell. The sheer explosive force required for tumbling passes and vault block-offs places immense strain on the lower leg. Yet, exactly two years later, the narrative has shifted from heartbreak to triumph.[2][5]

As the elite gymnastics world descends on Hartford, Connecticut, for the 2026 U.S. Classic this weekend, Blakely and DiCello are not just participating—they are headlining a summer of resilient returns.[4]

Blakely recently marked the two-year anniversary of her surgery with a poignant reflection. Sharing photos of her hospital bed alongside her current training, she wrote to her supporters: "You are not what happened to you, you are what you will become."[2]

That mantra has translated into undeniable results on the floor. Competing for the University of Florida in the 2026 NCAA season, Blakely eased back into competition as a specialist before making a massive impact. She captured her first career perfect 10.0 on the balance beam and was named the SEC Co-Specialist of the Year.[3]

Now, Blakely is translating that collegiate momentum back to the elite stage. She is slated to compete on the uneven bars and balance beam at the U.S. Classic, utilizing the meet as a stepping stone. Her ultimate goal is to return to all-around competition at the Xfinity U.S. Championships in August, with her sights firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.[1][4]

DiCello's path back to the podium required an even more complex medical intervention. After tearing her right Achilles at the Trials, she opted to sit out the entire 2025 NCAA season. She used the extended downtime to undergo a second surgery on her left foot to address a persistent bone spur, ensuring her foundation would be completely healthy for a 2028 run.[1]

The patience paid off. When DiCello finally saluted the judges for Florida in January 2026, it marked exactly 1,001 days since her last collegiate appearance.[3]

"It was definitely a long process," DiCello noted regarding her dual recoveries. "But right now my Achilles feels great. I have no issues with it." She has already begun training high-level elite skills again, including a massive Church-to-Pak salto combination on the uneven bars and the restoration of her Yurchenko 1.5 vault.[1]

The success of both athletes underscores significant advancements in sports physical therapy. Rehabilitation for an Achilles rupture in a gymnast requires a delicate, highly individualized protocol that stretches from nine to twelve months.[5][6]

Sports medicine specialists emphasize that the early phases of recovery must strictly avoid excessive dorsiflexion—the upward bending of the foot. Stretching the healing tendon too early can lead to elongation, which permanently robs a gymnast of the elastic explosiveness needed for elite tumbling.[5]

Instead, therapists focus on progressively rebuilding plantarflexion strength, starting with simple resistance bands before moving to bodyweight calf raises and, eventually, plyometric drop-landings.[5]

Beyond the physical healing, the psychological hurdle of trusting a surgically repaired tendon on a blind, high-impact landing is often the hardest phase of the comeback.[6]

By pacing their returns—starting as apparatus specialists before reintroducing the heavy leg-pounding of floor and vault—both Blakely and DiCello have mitigated that mental friction.[1][3]

Their dual comebacks inject a massive dose of veteran leadership and proven scoring potential into the U.S. national team pool. As the sport turns its attention to the LA 2028 quadrennial, the lingering shadow of the 2024 Trials has finally been replaced by the reality of their resilience.[1][4]