体坛新闻：Chinese gymnast Wang on track of sentience recovery

Wang Yan, who dropped from uneven bars and lost consciousness on Sunday, revived the feeling of right foot and were back on track of sentience recovery, said Gao Jian, the chief of gymnastic administration center, on Thursday.

According to Gao, Wang is getting stronger physically and the right foot regains the ability to move.

"I visited Wang Yan in hospital yesterday. Wang expressed her will to cooperate with the doctor and hoped to get well soon. I suffered similar injury when I was a gymnast in 1968, so I encouraged her by taking me as an example," said Gao.

Wang Yan, a 15-year-old Chinese gymnast felt into coma after she broke her neck in an accidental falldown from uneven bars at the national championship held in Shanghai, June 10,2007.[sina.com]

"I can sit first and then to walk, even to continue my gymnastic career as an athlete four four years further after that injury. I had the spinal fracture in the fifth and sixth bones, while Wang is in the second and third bones, but it's somewhat a similar case," added Gao.

Wang stumbled on the high bar on her dismount as she was trying somersaults on the uneven bars on Sunday at China's national gymnastics championship. According to the on-spot teammates, the whole body lost balance when Wang tripped over the bar on her dismount action.

Gao is optimistic for Wang to stand up some day. "Personally, I think she can recuperate. She could only move the toes in the right foot two days ago, but now she can move the right foot up and down.She can feel the hurt in the back and left leg and also can feel the tumidness and anaesthesia on both hands. To doctor's knowledge, it's a good sign. If she could not feel anything, it's indicating paralysis," said Gao.

The team doctor came up to diagnose but couldn't get any reaction from Wang just following the downfall. She failed to make a move with eyes closed and needed an oxygen assistance. About five minutes later, she was taken to a local bone specialized hospital.

The hospital sends Gao regular text message on Wang's treatment and recovery. A latest message said:" following are the diagnosis result this morning -- Wang is going towards positive direction and her muscle is renewing the ability to react."

Wang is currently under medication for detumescence. The surgery is feasible only when the bruise levels off.

"It's a fatal portion of the body. The symptom of dropsy and bruise is obvious and the right foot can make slight move," said the source from hospital on Tuesday, third day after Wang was hopitalized.

Another Chinese gymnast Sang Lan paralyzed herself as she lost her balance in vault warm-up in New York goodwill games in 1998. Sang was disturbed in that accident by a foreign coach, who poked out his head to the vault at the moment when Sang was making a vault trial.

Sang tumbled over her head and got paralyzed in the accident.