Fan favourite Russian gymnast Anna Pavlova sustained one of the worst possible injuries for a gymnast: Anterior cruciate ligament damage. She injured herself this weekend at the DTB Cup during her dismount (a 2.5 twist) on the balance beam.
Details on The C Score (video).
How sad.
Timely is an article posted on Sports Girls Play:
… there is growing research and awareness on female athletes and knee injuries. Some link the number of knee injuries in female athletes to genetics and the difference in bone structure to their counterparts. Others indicate the pressure to start training at a younger age as the cause. Either way, many of the injuries can be prevented through proper training and awareness. …
That post has links to a half dozen excellent articles on knee injury prevention for the female athlete.
Much on my mind is how to avoid this injury at my gym. One of our girls this season sustained a partial tear. (It seems to be healing rapidly.)
Gymnastics Coaching.com 