US gymnast Skye Blakely’s return to elite gymnastics is set.
The two-time world team gold medallist has successfully petitioned to compete at next month’s U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans.
“She [came] to camp, and she looks good. She’s feeling good. The goal is [U.S.] championships,” Alicia Sacramone Quinn, the US women’s high performance strategy lead, told Olympics.com Friday (18 July) following a training session at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago. Sacramone Quinn also confirmed that Blakely’s petition had already been accepted for nationals.
Blakely last competed at the 2024 U.S. Championships, where she finished runner-up to Simone Biles in the all-around. Weeks later, she tore her Achilles tendon during training for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, ending her hopes of competing at Paris 2024.
In January, Blakely made her NCAA debut, competing for the University of Florida on the uneven bars in every meet. Her season best was 9.95.
“Definitely working more skills back in the gym on beam, even training my standing full on the floor on the side, thinking of pushing it in the summer,” Blakely told us in April ahead of the NCAA Championships. “Floor, just kind of training some Tumbl Trak, some tumbling here and there. Vault, just some drills. I’m not trying to push the leg events yet.
“Just getting all skills back for the future of my career, but my eyes are still set on possibly going for Worlds this autumn,” she continued. “So, wanting to have all my skills back on bars and beam are my biggest goals right now. But, I’m definitely working on all four events trying to get back to my full difficulty again.”
On Friday, Blakely posted a video on Instagram, showing herself training a front handspring to double front.
The U.S. Championships are set for 7–10 August.