Georgia native Brody Malone wins third national gymnastics title [Video]

FORT WORTH, Texas — Brody Malone has become an expert on many things over the last 15 months while recovering from a knee injury that threatened to derail his chances of returning to the Olympics.

Patience. Faith. Diligence. Pain tolerance. The efficacy of certain types of knee braces.

The 23-year-old gymnast is well-versed in all of them following an arduous rehab that tested him in ways he never imagined.

So yes, Malone’s surgically repaired right knee was bothering him at the end of the U.S. Championships on Saturday night. His ankles and lots of other things, too.

Still, it was kind of hard to tell underneath a smile that was equal parts joy and relief following two days at the U.S. Championships in which he served a reminder that — when healthy — he remains …