US college gymnast suffers career-ending injuries in horror accident

Gymnast retires after breaking both legs and dislocating her knees | GRAPHIC VIDEO

Samantha Cerio in agony following the injury. Picture: Supplied

A US college gymnast has been forced to give up the sport, after she suffered horrific injuries during her routine at an NCAA regional event.

Auburn University senior Samantha Cerio broke both her legs and dislocated both knees midway through her floor routine, after a tumbling pass went horribly wrong.

Cerio was given a standing ovation from the 5,537 supporters in attendance at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Louisiana as she was stretchered from the floor.

The commentator for the event delivered an underwhelming initial assessment of the incident.

“I think she may be hurt … she is obviously in some pain” he said.

WARNING: Graphic video, images

Auburn head coach Jeff Graba, who has coached since the 1980s, said he’d never seen such serious injuries in his decades in the sport.

“It was pretty tough to watch,” Graba told nola.com. “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.”

The engineering student confirmed she won’t compete again via her Instagram account, saying “nothing ever goes as planned”.

Samantha Cerio during her routine. Picture: Supplied

The moment Samantha Cerio suffered the horror injury. Picture: Supplied

“Friday night was my final night as a gymnast,” she wrote. “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. It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity, and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and road blocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person. It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned.”

She went on to thank her “Auburn family” who rallied around her following the injury, using the #StickItForSam hashtag on social media,

“I am honoured to have had the privilege to represent the navy and orange AU for the past 4 years with my team by my side. Thank you for letting me share my passion with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something bigger than myself.

“War Eagle Always.”

The team finished fourth at the event, Graba telling the Auburn website the team were “emotionally spent”.

“I think we were out of gas,” he said. “But I thought the girls fought hard. They did a great job … I thought we finished the way we wanted to finish.”