Canadian Olympian Aurélie Tran had every reason to look ahead with confidence after an outstanding 2026 season at Iowa. The junior gymnast captured a share of the Big Ten uneven bars title, made history with Iowa’s first perfect 10.0 on bars, became the only Hawkeye to compete in the all-around at every meet, and finished as the NCAA runner-up in the event. Now, just months after reaching some of the biggest milestones of her collegiate career, Tran is facing an injury setback that has once again put her return to competition in question.
On September 21, Tran gave fans an emotional update from her hospital bed. Sharing a photo on her Instagram Story, the Iowa gymnast wrote, “Second Achilles tear 💔.” She also opened up about the challenge ahead, admitting that going through the recovery process again would be both a mental and physical test she never expected to face twice.
Despite the difficult news, Tran ended her message with a determined note that reflected the mindset that has carried her through previous setbacks. “Only moving up from here.” The latest injury is a major blow after what had been a standout 2026 campaign for the Canadian gymnast. However, the Iowa standout already knows what an Achilles recovery feels like.
In 2022, Tran suffered her first left Achilles tear while competing as an elite gymnast in Canada. She later explained to International Gymnast Magazine that the injury happened during a tumbling sequence involving a round-off, back handspring and double-back. The injury forced her to miss most of the 2022 season and put her senior career on hold. Her recovery lasted roughly 11 months.
Tran explained that she reduced the difficulty of parts of her floor and beam routines while rebuilding strength in the injured leg. On floor, she performed one double-back instead of two, while she also simplified her beam dismount during her return. And the reason was, “leave more time for my Achilles to recover completely while still being able to compete.” However, the long recovery did not stop Tran from rebuilding her career.
Tran fought her way back from injury
Tran returned in 2023 after the injury and wasted little time showing what she was capable of. She won the Elite Canada senior all-around title and the Canadian senior all-around title, while also picking up three bronze medals at the Pan American Championships in the all-around, balance beam, and team events. Later that year, she helped Canada win team bronze at the Pan American Games.
Then, in 2024, the comeback reached its biggest moment yet. Tran finished second in the all-around at the Canadian Championships behind Ellie Black and won silver on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor. Those results helped earn her a place on Canada’s Olympic team. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she competed on all four events and helped Canada finish fifth in the women’s team final.
After Paris, Tran began a new chapter at the University of Iowa. Her first NCAA season in 2025 showed that she was not simply there to gain experience. She competed in the all-around at every meet and won 15 event titles, earning First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. She also made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, winning the all-around with a 39.050 and taking the uneven bars title with a 9.850. But 2026 was the season when everything really came together.
Tran was Iowa’s only gymnast to compete in the all-around at every meet and finished the year with 16 event titles. She reached a career-best 39.600 in the all-around and became one of the team’s most dependable performers. At the Big Ten Championships, she scored 9.950 on uneven bars to share the conference title, becoming the first Iowa gymnast since 2003 to win the Big Ten bars crown. That is what makes the latest news so difficult.