I am always so scared when I see a lady that misses a foot at the end of the beam and ends up dismounting in a crazy way, I prefer the "I am mad at myself because I fell on something easy" moments :)
I don't remember if it was Olympic Trials or a different event in the USA, but I will never forget seeing a beautiful and genuinely serene looking Riley (sp?)McCusker jarred back into reality and smacking her head on the beam. It was a live broadcast and I was certain it would be the worst broken neck in every sports medicine textbook for the rest of time. I one THOUSAND percent thought she had surely broken her neck and would be paralyzed like Christopher Reeves. The only thing to cushion her head and neck from the cold beam surface was her fine, blonde, immaculate ponytail and maybe a quarter inch of chalk build-up. -SOMEHOW-, she got up and literally walked it off. I remember most thinking how we were almost the same age at the time and that I could never have that much grace and fortune in my pinky finger as she did literally falling off of the balance beam. If anyone else is old enough to remember a VHS tape? That's about how thick that beam is. Certainly smaller than MY preteen feet, let alone my full-grown adult feet today. I'm honestly surprised how little gymnasts are recognized for the risk of injury they take. I'm an avid ice hockey fan, and that fall was worse than the vast majority of live broadcast hockey injuries I've ever seen, maybe only second to a gentleman who was cracked in the head with a stick so hard that he had a full grand mal seizure before his head even hit the surface of the ice.
Well said Sophie . The worst I ever saw was Katelyn Ohashi . Her foot slipped to the side on her roundoff and she still attempted the double back BUT landed upside down on her neck and shoulders. I've sincerely been worried for her as I haven't seen her since. Does anyone know how she is today ?
as someone whos missed their foot on a front tuck (at a competition, i kept tucking because you cant stop) and i ended up getting a 9.7 cause the judge was on the opposite side of the beam that i slipped on so she didnt see
