By CNN
—
US steeplechase athlete Emma Coburn said that her “dream” of competing at this year’s Paris Olympics is over after she broke her ankle while competing in Shanghai last month.
Coburn, a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, landed heavily during a water jump in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Diamond League event in China, forcing her out of the race.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, she said that she broke her ankle during the landing and has undergone surgery, which included cleaning the cartilage and getting a screw fitted in the joint.
“That means I’m out for the Olympic Trials,” said Coburn.
“The dream of Paris is over. There has been a *lot* of heartbreak in the last couple years for me, but damn, I love this sport and nothing heals a broken heart like working hard and getting back. See ya out there later this year.”
Coburn said that the pain was “pretty intense” at the time, although she thought that the ankle was only sprained.
“When I got home, images showed torn ligaments, damaged cartilage, and a fracture in my medial malleolus [a bone in the ankle],” the 33-year-old explained, adding that she can resume jogging in six weeks.
On top of her bronze medal in 2016, Coburn owns two world championship medals – a gold from 2017 and silver from 2019. She was hoping to compete in a fourth Olympics in Paris later this year.
The US Olympic trials take place in Eugene, Oregon, next month, while the Paris Games begin on July 26.
