Mustafina diagnosis Saturday

@IntlGymnast:

UPDATE: The exact diagnosis of Mustafina’s injury is expected Saturday. We are retracting the update that she tore her meniscus.

I still fear ligament damage, requiring longer recovery.

Reigning world all-around champion Aliya Mustafina of Russia withdrew from the 2011 European Championships after the first rotation of the all-around finals. …

Universal Sports – Mustafina injured at Europeans, needs surgery

The most insightful reaction I’ve seen so far is by Aunt Joyce:

… Aliya Mustafina went down at the European Championships with a knee injury that we can only suspect will keep her out for much of the next year. For Aliya and the sport, this is terrible. Knee injuries are bad news. A torn Achilles is devastating, but we’ve seen improvements in surgical technique that now has athletes back up to speed within a year. …

… Back in the 80s and early 90s, difficult skills were performed but they were highlights of the routine. Now every skill and combination needs to possess great risk. This has led to sloppy, mistake-filled routines and it has also resulted in a tremendous increase in severe injuries. Gymnastics is no longer a sport where one can escape uninjured. A gymnast’s success often depends on when they are injured as opposed to ‘if’ they suffer a serious injury. …

… When the FIG continues to ask older bodies to perform more and more difficulty that is better suited for younger gymnasts, injuries like this are inevitable. …

read more – Disaster At The European Championships

There’s a disconnect between the new (2006) FIG Code that rewards difficulty … and the push to increase the age of the young women competing.

Older girls have more chronic overuse syndromes. And more ‘old’ injuries that are only partially healed. As well, they have heavier bodies and longer limbs to maneuver.

Sooner or later FIG must address that disconnect. If this injury had happened to anyone else, it would be soon forgotten. But since it’s happened to the World Champion, I’m hoping that now’s the time to take action.

Bruno Grandi is not afraid to take action.

The easiest way out of the current dilemma would be to actually enforce the Execution scores. To reward those athletes with superb form, line and artistry with medals.