An American gymnast who suffered stomach-churning injuries including two broken legs during a complicated floor routine has announced her retirement from the sport.
Samantha Cerio, an Auburn University senior, was attempting a handspring double front flip with a blind landing when she fell awkwardly at the Baton Rouge Regional on Friday.
The 22-year-old, who screamed in agony after the landing while the crowd watched on in horror, reportedly dislocated both her knees and broke both of her legs during the routine.
Ms Cerio has now announced her retirement from gymnastics in a moving Instagram post, saying that she is “hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind” after 18 years.
“Friday night was my final night as a gymnast,” she wrote on Sunday. “I couldn’t be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me become.
“It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and roadblocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person.
“It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned.”
She added: “Thank you Auburn family for giving me a home and a chance to continue doing the sport that will always be my first love. I am honored to have had the privilege to represent the navy and orange AU for the past 4 years with my team by my side.
“Thank you for letting me share my passion with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something bigger than myself.”
The gymnast had hoped to deliver a faultless performance to help the Auburn Tigers secure a place in the NCAA’s region final.
After suffering the gruesome injuries, Ms Cerio received a standing ovation as she was carried out of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on a stretcher.
Speaking to the Times-Picayune, Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba said that he had never seen anything like what had happened to Ms Cerio.
Mr Graba, who said the gymnast had reached for the floor too early, said: “It was a pretty tough watch.
“She’s a trouper. The last thing she said was, ‘Go help the girls.’ The girls rallied around her. They’re doing this for her right now.”
Auburn University finished the night with the highest regional score in program history, advancing to the regional finals on Saturday, where they came fourth.
