Olympian Shane Wiskus set for shoulder surgery, taking it ‘one year at a time’

Six months ago, it seemed Olympic Trials would be Shane Wiskus‘ final bow to the sport.

The Minnesota native had arguably the best meet of his career in front of an electric home crowd at the Target Center in Minneapolis, ultimately being named an alternate to the men’s team for the Paris Games.

The Tokyo Olympian was transparent about the rollercoaster of emotions he faced at the time: the joy of performing at his best and receiving a standing ovation in front of a home crowd – “an image burned into my memory forever” – and the frustration of being named an alternate after having the meet of his life.

Wiskus went through 2024 expecting it to be his last in competitive gymnastics, but “being on the other side of that and having done [his] ‘last competition’ just wasn’t really sitting right.”

After touring with the Gold Over America Tour in the fall, some subtle hints at a return, and renewing his contract with EVO Gymnastics, the 26-year-old shared Tuesday that he’s taking it “one year at a time” (advice Canada great Ellie Black gave him).

Next step: shoulder surgery in February.

“Back to gymnastics this year is going to be a six to nine month recovery from shoulder surgery I’m getting next month,” Wiskus said. “I’ve been dealing with this injury for about seven years now, and it’s the perfect time to deal with that and just see if I can fix this thing and put it behind me.”

Wiskus will have some free time on his hands while recovering, so he’s starting an online coaching and mentoring platform called “Gym with Wiskus.” Subscriptions will come with two monthly, hour-long Zoom sessions and unlimited video coaching.

“I want to help the next generation become the best version of themselves, the best gymnasts they can be,” Wiskus said of the endeavor. He added in the caption: “Think of me as your gymnastics big brother!”

Some say it’s best to go out on top, and in some ways, Wiskus was on top of the world at Olympic Trials. If an MVP of the meet were to have been awarded, chances are he would’ve won in a landslide. But what if that was just the beginning? What if he can be just as undeniable in four years and be on the right side of the selection process?

It’s a long four years until LA after three short ones leading up to Paris, but Wiskus is going to stick around for a while and see what the sport has left to offer him.