What happened to Flavia Saraiva?

For any professional athlete, the Olympics are the dream of a lifetime. To stand among the best of the best and have a chance to compete in the name of their country is an honor for these folks. For sports fans, it’s a must-watch event.

As anyone who has been accompanying the event knows, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games are giving the people everything they could possibly ask for. From participants with criminal records, to an outstanding yet controversial opening ceremony, there is no shortage of things to talk about, but it looks like female athletes are taking most of the spotlight this year — and for good reason. The accomplishments of women like Simone Biles are nothing short of impressive, however, on June 30 all eyes were on Flavia Saraiva instead.

The 24-year-old Brazilian gymnast showed up injured on that day, with bruises on her right eye and sporting a bandage above it. Naturally, this made everyone who watched her performance on the uneven bars wonder what could’ve possibly happened to her.

How did Flavia Saraiva hurt her eye?

Saraiva’s black eye and bandaged eyebrow were the results of a heavy fall. Before the competition started, the gymnast was practicing her routine on the uneven bars, when she slipped and fell, accidentaly kneeing herself in the eye in the process. The injury required medical assistance, as Saraiva was left her bleeding from a cut above her right eye, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from achieving her goal.

In an impressive display of determination, the athlete got bandaged up and competed in the event only a few minutes after. Because the fall happened duing warm-ups, no points were deducted from her performance, and Saraiva ended up with a score of 13.666 on the uneven bars. This was the second highest score Team Brazil achieved on bars, which helped them earn a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. It seems like the sun really does shine after the storm.