US Women's Gymnastic Olympic Team 2012: US Team Must Let Injured Maroney Compete

The United States women's gymnastic team was hit with some bad news that has cast doubts over the team's gold medal chances in the all-around competition.

However, rather than let the toe injury suffered by gymnast McKayla Maroney spur the team to consider replacing the 16-year-old with an alternate, the United States must stay the course and allow the youngster to compete if she feels able.

According to a report in Sports Illustrated, that's the plan, at least for now. Maroney, who is widely considered the top competitor in the vault in the world, broke the big toe on her right foot at a competition in Chicago in May, and then re-aggravated the injury while practicing on the balance beam in London.

The only real treatment for this sort of injury is rest, but unfortunately now is just about the absolutely worst time possible to need that. As it stands, the U.S. will scale Maroney's role in London back, as she will now compete only in the vault after originally being slated to take part in both the vault and floor exercises.

U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi insisted that it is always the gymnast’s decision whether to continue, according to The New York Times, and if comments to The Times from the teenager from Long Beach, Calif., are to be believed then her mind is already made up.

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“It looks a lot better now,” she said, adding that she has been icing her toe “like 30 times a day” and also has had acupuncture and electric stimulation to temper the pain. “I’ve worked so hard to be here. I can ignore the pain.”

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Some pundits, including Bleacher Report's own Emily Bayci, have suggested that the United States team might be better served by replacing Maroney with an alternate, but with all due respect to Ms. Bayci, I'm not buying what she's selling.

First, Maroney is far and away the best there is at the vault, and the United States is counting on her skill at executing the ridiculously difficult Amanar vault to give the team a competitive edge over their opponents in London.

For the record, the injury doesn't appear to be significantly limiting he ability to execute her specialty, as per the SI report Maroney successfully performed the maneuver several times during podium training on Thursday.

However, this isn't about the United States gymnastics team or its "best chance" at a gold medal.

This is about McKayla Maroney, a 16-year-old girl who has worked for most of her young life to become the best there is at the vault. She earned the right to travel to London and represent her country in the greatest spectacle in sports with years of practice, sweat and yes, broken toes.

Don't you dare take what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity away from her.

If Maroney thinks she can go, then she goes. If she falters, so be it.

If she doesn't, and the U.S. does bring home the gold, then we'll have been treated to another of the sorts of stories of triumph in the face of adversity that make the Olympics so special in the first place.

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