It has been only eight months since Alicia Sacramone tore her achilles tendon on floor, just days before prelims at the 2011 World Championships. It didn’t seem possible that someone could come back so quickly, but if anyone can do it, it’s Sacramone. She doesn’t sugar coat the process, saying again and again that she worked incredibly hard to make it back. And make it she has.

Sacramone competed on vault and bars at the 2012 Visa National Championships prelims. She came back looking like she always does: powerful, confident and reliable. Her vaults weren’t quite at the world champion level they  were before her injury, but they are very close. She did the most solid beam routine of the competition, wowing the crowd with her aggressive, fluid style on beam.  She also added a sheep jump – and a very nice one at that!

Sacramone knows that to make the team, she has to bring even more. She hopes to add her connections back in and hit her vaults perfectly. She is also trying to upgrade her vault for Olympic Trials. She reportedly was going to do an upgraded vault in vault finals at the World Championships last year before she was injured. She is contemplating bringing floor back for Trials as well. She says she has the skills but just is not quite yet able to put them all together.

Sacramone is an incredibly talented athlete and an inspiring personality. She speaks her mind and always gives authentic, candid interviews, making her a well loved gymnast. Here are some of her routines and interview from Prelims.