“Sending Prayers”: Gymnastics Community Heartbroken as USA National Team Member Suffers Medical Setback

2012: Zoey Molomo refused to take her leotard off all day. The four-year-old would watch wide-eyed as Gabby Douglas pulled off a phenomenal routine at the London Olympics, eventually winning gold. Later, it turned into such an obsession that “I would come home from preschool…and I would watch her floor routine on replay.” Years later, Molomo plays the same role in others’ lives. With a career and talent that even took her to the 2024 Olympic Trials, the youngest of the lot stood shoulder to shoulder with the best female gymnasts the country had to offer. 2025 was supposed to be even better, until…

Life decided to play a cruel joke on her.

Jesolo Trophy was meant to be Molomo’s coronation, before she soared into NCAA stardom with the UCLA Bruins, Class of 2027. She had everything going for her. A three-time USA National Team member, a recently acquired 2025 Winter Cup vault championship, a beam bronze in her bag, and her name reverberating through gym halls. Confidence wasn’t just growing, but it was glowing. To top it off, Molomo even earned a spot on the squad for the 2025 WAG City of Jesolo Trophy, which was held on April 12–13. But then, a routine practice turned into something far worse. A twist, a snap, and a new reality.

On April 11, the young gymnast took to Instagram to break the news: A bad landing on the vault during practice had left her with a serious injury. “Hi guys! Just wanted to give you all a quick update. During practice, I had a bad landing on vault and unfortunately sustained a knee injury,” she wrote, before adding, “This is absolutely heartbreaking and definitely not how I imagined my season ending—but I trust that God’s plan is greater than mine. I’m staying strong, focusing on healing, and doing everything I can to be the best teammate for my girls. I’ll be back soon! Much love,
Zomo🤍”. And just earlier this week, the gymnast even confirmed the nature of her setback revealing it was an ACL injury.

 Surgery soon followed. Recovery has begun. Yet, if history is any measure, resilience is stitched into Zoey’s very core. Flashback to 2022, and you see how far she’d come. That February, she claimed vault silver at the Winter Cup. By April, she was a force at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy, contributing to Team USA’s gold alongside Madray Johnson, Myli Lew, Ella Murphy, Gabby Van Frayen, and Tiana Sumanasekera. Zoey didn’t just hold her own—she dazzled. She added two more silver medals, one on vault and another on floor exercise.

Unfortunately, after the injury sidelining her, we can’t help but think how this was the one thing she hoped would not happen. Early last month, in an interview with Inside Gymnastics Magazine, she had said, “I’ve been on two assignments, and I got hurt at Pan Ams, so I didn’t get to compete. I definitely want to compete more internationally, get on a little bigger stage, have more nerves and see how I can handle it…I’ve also been working a lot on beam this year. I didn’t do my highest difficulty [at Winter Cup], but I’m really working on getting my start value up and competing more.”

So yes, the injury stings. The timing couldn’t be worse, but she has made sure she is staying strong.

Top Comment by Ted Dennett

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Fans send prayers to Zoey Molomo

Honestly, if there was ever a gymnast who felt like she was right on the edge of something huge, it was Zoey Molomo. The vault queen. The energy magnet. From her early days at the 2022 Winter Cup, where she bagged silver on vault, to that unforgettable triple-medal haul at Jesolo the same year, fans have watched her rise with both awe and affection.

And just as she was beginning to write her elite senior chapter, ninth on beam at the 2024 Winter Cup, youngest at the Olympic Trials, part of the 2025 Jesolo squad, everything seemed aligned. Until, suddenly, it wasn’t. But what followed that was something different. The kind of community support that reminds you how loved an athlete truly is.

“Love you so much Zo! Always here for you and I know you’ll be back even stronger. Ilysm,” one fan wrote, capturing what so many felt. Another posted simply, “Sending so much love and prayers. Wishing for speedy recovery.” It wasn’t about medals anymore. It was about Molomo, the person. The teammate. The fighter.

There was heartbreak, yes—“Oh no!!! Praying for a full and complete recovery for you!!”—but there was also unwavering faith. “Love you Zoey… here for you always,” read another. Even in the silence of a paused season, the noise of love hasn’t stopped, and there were healing vibes from fans: “Sending you healing vibes,” one fan wrote.

Her Instagram post told fans the truth: torn ACL, season-ending, but she’s staying strong. And that’s all they needed to hear.