Last year, Konnor McClain’s Olympic dreams took a devastating hit. During warmups at the Core Hydration Classic, she suffered a torn Achilles—one of the most dreaded injuries in gymnastics. Just moments after delivering a strong performance on the beam, she went down to the floor, unable to continue. According to multiple reports, she had to be helped off in a wheelchair, her season over before it truly began. The injury was confirmed by USA Gymnastics, and McClain’s future was suddenly uncertain. LSU coach Jay Clark later revealed she would undergo an MRI, but the damage was done. Fast forward to January 2025, and Konnor McClain was back. The torn Achilles, the uncertainty was all behind her. She’s competing again, stronger than ever. And now? She’s got plenty to reflect on.
“The whole year last year just felt so unreal for me,” McClain told Olympics.com on April 1st. Reflecting on her freshman season, she admitted that the transition to college gymnastics was unlike anything she had experienced before. “Coming to college was a whole different experience, and you can’t even put it into a group of words to explain what college is and how different it is compared to life before,” she said. But for McClain, the season couldn’t have ended on a better note. “Winning the national championship is like the cherry on top of the whole season for all of us.”
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The post Taken Away on Wheelchair, LSU Gymnastics’ Konnor McClain Opens Up About NCAA Return After Injury Crushed Olympics Dream appeared first on EssentiallySports.
