It was designed to be a final preparation for the UCLA
gymnastics team before it heads to the NCAA Championships this
weekend, but Friday’s intrasquad meet gave the Bruins a giant
scare.
Senior Kristen Maloney, one of the nation’s top gymnasts,
sprained her right ankle in the middle of her floor exercise
routine on Friday and will likely be hampered when UCLA vies for
its third consecutive national title this weekend in Auburn,
Ala.
“The pain wasn’t too bad initially, but it was later
that night,” said Maloney, who rated the pain an eight on a
scale of one to 10. “It has been getting better every day.
It’s to the point where I can walk without it
hurting.”
Maloney, who intends to compete in the all-around this weekend,
practiced on beam and uneven bars sparingly on Monday, with the
injured ankle taped in order to minimize damage and reduce pain.
She wore a protective boot throughout the weekend and said she has
iced her ankle 20 times per day.
The injury stemmed from a floor routine that Maloney has refined
in recent weeks in order to increase the difficulty and improve her
scores. Added to the already high-scoring routine was a front flip
to precede the pre-existing triple twist, a skill that had already
been upgraded from two-and-a-half twists earlier in the season.
Despite the pain that is likely to remain come meet time, UCLA
coach Valorie Kondos Field is confident that, based on previous
experience, her top gymnast will be competing in the all-around at
Auburn.
During her 2000-2001 freshman season, Maloney suffered a serious
leg injury shortly before the NCAA Championships and her status was
questionable for the meet.
At a meeting held in her trainer’s bathroom to allow her
to keep the injured leg iced in the bathtub, Maloney listened to
her trainer, coach and parents, who all told her to concentrate on
only two events and do them well rather than spread herself too
thin.
But Maloney refused.
“She said, “˜I didn’t compete and train through
pain the entire season to not compete at the
championships,'” Kondos Field said.
The team went on to win its third championship by .175 points
behind Maloney’s gutsy performance on vault, beam and
floor.
It was a performance that sends a message about the current
situation.
“I’m not the kind of person to hold back when
I’m hurting,” Maloney said.
“It would take an army to hold her away,” Kondos
Field added. “No one is going to keep Kristen Maloney from
competing.”