Video Shows 22-Year-Old Gymnast Dislocating Both Knees During Regional Competition
The athlete decided to retire following the accident.
By Tamara Jayne — 10 Apr 2019, 12:12 PM
A US college gymnast was captured on video dislocating both her legs during a regional competition last Friday, 5 April
22-year-old Auburn University senior gymnast Samantha Cerio was competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Baton Rouge Regional event when the gruesome accident happened.
Warning: Viewer discretion is advised for the following images.
Dressed in a white, navy, and orange leotard, Cerio began her floor routine with a handspring double front that required a blind landing
The Times Picayune reported that Cerio landed awkwardly – dislocating both of her knees and tearing multiple ligaments during the routine. Previous reports suggested that she had broken both her legs.
The injured athlete received a standing ovation from the crowd, as medical staff carried her off the floor on a stretcher.
"It was pretty tough to watch," Auburn's coach Jeff Graba told the news site. "She's a trooper. The last thing she said was, 'Go help the girls.' The girls rallied around her. They're doing this for her right now," he added.
Viewer discretion is advised for the following video.
After 18 years of being a gymnast, Cerio announced on Sunday that the accident forced her to officially retire
"Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind. I couldn't be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become," Cerio wrote on her Instagram.
Her post received over 28,000 likes and over 2,400 comments, as netizens wished her a swift recovery and praised her for being a role model to women.
In her post, the gymnast also thanked her teammates for their support, adding that she never planned to end her career the way she did.
"It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned," she wrote.
