Gymnast, McKayla Maroney, poses for a portrait during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 14, 2012 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty)
London (USA Today Sports) -- U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney, the world gold medalist on vault, said Thursday she has a broken right big toe. She learned it was broken after re-injuring it on round-off dismount on her beam routine.
Maroney said x-rays indicated it was previously broken. The initial injury occurred two months ago before the Secret U.S. Championships in Chicago, she said.
As a result, Maroney will only compete in the vault, her signature event, though she was being considered for floor as well. Kyla Ross is a two-time junior champ, is expected to take her spot on floor.
Though the injury is painful, Maroney said it hasn't affected her ability to execute her Amanar vault, considered the best in the world.
The favored USA women begin team competition Sunday.
Earlier Thursday, USA alternate Anna Li's improbable Olympic journey came to a close. Li tore a ligament in her neck after a fall from the uneven bars on Tuesday and "as a result, she is no longer training as a replacement athlete," USA Gymnastics said in a statement. She has been advised to wear a cervical collar as a precaution.
Teams are required to set their rosters Saturday. The other two alternates are Sarah Finnegan of St. Louis and Elizabeth Price of Coopersburg, Pa., and a third alternate can be added.
Li, whose specialty is uneven bars, was taken to a local hospital and at that time passed all tests, USA Gymnastics said.
At 23, the former All-American at UCLA is the oldest of the eight U.S. team members. She was considered too old, at 5-4 too tall, and too injury-worn (two surgically repaired broken feet) to make the U.S. team but a strong performance at the U.S. trials overcame those perceived obstacles.
After graduating in 2010, she worked as a stuntwoman for commercials and TV, before returning to training for a long-shot bid to the Olympics.