Canadian Rosie MacLennan's Olympic reign ends with 4th-place finish in trampoline
32-year-old falls just short of podium despite injured ankle
Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday — a remarkable showing considering she could barely walk a few weeks ago.
"Obviously not quite what I was hoping for. I was really hoping to have the opportunity to stand on the podium for Canada again," she said moments after the final results were posted.
"Obviously I didn't quite get there. I wish I could have done a bit more."
In the weeks leading up to these Games, her fourth, MacLennan doubted that she would be able to compete.
WATCH | MacLennan places 4th in Tokyo:
Just after the competition got underway, it was disclosed that two months ago during training, MacLennan suffered a severe ankle sprain and two torn tendons.
She only started practising her routines again two days before travelling to Tokyo.
"Six weeks ago I was on crutches and in a boot." she said. "The fact that I was able to get here and compete and do as well as I did, I have to be happy with that."
MacLennan still managed to put on a dazzling display of acrobatics, soaring to breathtaking heights that brought gasps from the small smattering of team officials and guests inside of Tokyo's Ariake Gymnastics Centre.
The Toronto native has been trampoline's top performer for more than a decade, always managing to make a very difficult sport look easy. She has never stopped innovating and striving to maintain her dominance.
There was just too much for her to overcome on Friday.
China's Zhu Xueying (56.635 points) and Liu Lingling (56.350) took gold and silver, respectively, while Great Britain's Bryony Page (55.735) earned bronze.
MacLennan finished agonizingly close with 55.460 points.
The 32-year-old came to Tokyo trying to do something no Canadian athlete has ever done before in an individual sport: win three straight gold medals.
She said that in some way, suffering the injury so close to the Games was, oddly, almost a relief. She said it gave her something to focus on besides the narrative around her quest for three straight gold medals.
"In some ways getting injured really did ground me. I was feeling a lot of pressure before that," MacLennan said. "When I got hurt it really grounded me both literally and figuratively and forced me to focus on each next step and each day trying to put myself in the best possible position for today."
WATCH | MacLennan looks back on Rio gold:
Even though she'll leave Tokyo without a medal, MacLennan is undoubtedly one of her sport's great performers and one of Canada's most accomplished Olympic athletes.
Thousands of Canadian athletes have competed at the Summer Olympics since Canada first began sending teams in 1904. But only one athlete — MacLennan — has been able to win a gold medal in two consecutive Games in the same individual event. (Rowers Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle won back-to-back gold medals in 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta, but in different events.)
Note with family's names in pocket
Always modest, MacLennan said she will leave it to others to define her legacy.
"I really just try to lead with joy and a love for the sport. I always say to other people that you are not defined by one result."
Even before competing at these Games, she was comfortable with what she had achieved.
"Nobody can take away what I've been able to do. That is going to be part of my story for the rest of my life no matter what happens in Tokyo."
As for what's next, she is not making any quick decisions.
You may even see her again in Paris three years from now.
For now, MacLennan is heading home on Saturday to relax and to see her family, many of whom she's been away from for nearly two years.
"I have their names written on a piece of paper in my pocket and I know that no matter what happened today that I'm going to see them tomorrow."
