Florida freshman gymnast and 2017 world all-around champion Morgan Hurd announced she underwent right knee surgery on Monday to repair a torn ACL. She is expected to miss the rest of the NCAA season.
"Apparently I partially tore my ACL last year and just didn't know," Hurd posted on Twitter on Monday, following the procedure. "And then tore the rest about a week before leaving for [Florida]."
Hurd, 20, arrived at Florida at the end of December after missing the fall semester to participate in Simone Biles' Gold Over America tour. She was not cleared to compete in the Gators' season-opening victory on Friday against Rutgers, Northern Illinois and Texas Women's, but Hurd had previously told ESPN she expected to make her debut on Sunday in an ABC-televised meet against Alabama.
However, her much-anticipated collegiate debut will now have to wait another year. It's the latest setback in the once-red hot career of the gymnast.
In her first season competing on the senior level, Hurd burst onto the global scene at the 2017 world championships with her all-around triumph, as well as a second-place finish on balance beam. The following year, she helped lead the American contingent to a world championship team title, and won bronze in the all-around competition. She also won silver on floor exercise.
Her Olympic dreams were filmed as part of a documentary series, "All Around." But Hurd's hopes for making the American team for Tokyo were derailed as she underwent a series of surgeries on her elbows, including in August 2020 and March 2021.
Hurd competed at the National Championships in June with hopes of qualifying for the Olympic trials, but finished in 23rd and 26th on floor and beam.
Hurd made light of her lengthy medical history in her posts about Monday's procedure.
for my eight surgery i decided to switch it up and get it on my knee pic.twitter.com/98JwaattXl
— morgan hurd (@morgihurd) January 10, 2022
"For my eight surgery I decided to switch it up and get it on my knee," she wrote in one tweet. "I was excited for a new challenge but uh, I don't think this is what I intended lol," Hurd said in another tweet.
The Gators entered the season ranked No. 2 in the country, and will host Alabama, the reigning SEC champions, on Sunday in Gainesville.