American gymnast Shilese Jones is aiming for the 2028 Olympics after a left knee injury ended her shot at reaching Paris.
The 22-year-old Jones announced on social media late Monday that she tore the ACL and meniscus in the knee while warming up on vault on the first night of the U.S. Olympic trials last month.
Jones did put together a spectacular bars routine following the injury but r emoved herself from competition and Olympic consideration the next day.
“My journey hasn’t been a simple one, and I’m still tackling obstacles as they come,” Jones wrote. “This pain is temporary, but the scars will only fuel me that much more as I continue to chase my dream.”
Jones was considered a leading contender to make the five-woman team that is heavily favored to claim gold in Tuesday night’s Olympic final. Jones has arguably been the best American gymnast not named Simone Biles over the last three years, winning six world championship …