Gymnast Bridget Sloan out of trials

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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bridget Sloan, the 2009 world champion, is out of the running for the London Olympics after spraining her left elbow during warmups Friday.

Athletes aren't allowed to petition directly onto the Olympic team, so the injury effectively ends her chances. The team will be named Sunday.

Sloan, also a member of the squad that won the silver medal at the Beijing Games, was working on uneven bars when she hurt her elbow. She was examined by Dr. Larry Nassar, physician for the U.S. women's team, and went to try and warm up on balance beam. But she soon left the competition floor with coach Marvin Sharp, and the announcement that she was scratched came about 30 minutes later.

"My elbow kind of ricocheted off the mat," Sloan said.

Sloan said she tried to continue with the warmup but quickly knew she would not be able to continue. She was diagnosed with an elbow strain and was scheduled to be evaluated further on Friday night.

"I tried to shake it off," Sloan said. "It started getting really bad on the beam, the pain, the throbbing and every time I moved I could feel something all the way into my hand. It was hard to accept, but at the same time, I knew it was meant for me to be done."

Sloan's eyes welled and her voice cracked as she talked about the abrupt end of her London run.

"Everything happens for a reason," Sloan said. "I'm definitely a fighter. I do not like to go down without a fight. I wanted to go out there, but safety is a big thing. My body is telling me one thing and my mind is telling me another. And in the end, your body kind of wins."

Michelle Smith of espnW and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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