Gators gymnastics junior Trinity Thomas had always dreamed of competing in the Olympics. She suited up for Team USA the last four seasons.
The York, Pennsylvania, native announced her retirement from elite gymnastics on Twitter and said she will not attempt to qualify for this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Thomas dealt with a nagging ankle injury since March, an injury she suffered in warmups before Florida’s meet versus Alabama. The Gators held her out of the meet as a precaution. Thomas only competed on the uneven bars at the SEC Championships and during both rounds at NCAA Regionals the rest of the season.
She resumed her position as an all-arounder for both rounds of the NCAA Championships, where the Gators finished fourth in the final meet. Thomas said she realized she didn’t have enough time to heal and compete at the elite level after her final floor routine.
“I need time to rest and rehab, so I made a difficult decision,” she said. “The one that is best for me…. Right now my focus is on recovering so I can continue to compete to the best of my ability.”
Thomas will focus on her recovery so she can help Florida chase its fourth National Championship in her senior season.
Some of her highlights competing with USA Gymnastics include a runner up finish in the all around and bars when the US took home gold in the 2018 Senior Pan American Championships and an all-around silver medalist at the 2018 World Cup.
Thomas and Florida shined this season despite their postseason slip up. The Gators finished the regular season undefeated and held four of the top-16 team scores in the country. Thomas shattered several records, like when she recorded the top all-around score in program history against LSU (39.9). She also became the second UF gymnast to tally two 10s in one meet versus Auburn.
The Gators remain loaded for 2021 when they chase another title. Thomas returns with her stellar junior class that include Savannah Schoenherr, Nya Reed, Sydney Johnson-Scharpf and Leah Clapper. Senior Megan Skaggs announced April 23 that she will use the fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA. The only senior for Florida who hasn’t made a decision is Alyssa Baumann.
They also added several star freshmen who will compete for a spot on Team USA Friday and Saturday in the G.K. US Classic, the last qualifying event for the US Championships.
Contact Zachary Huber at zhuber@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @zacharyahuber.
