Jade Barbosa to Sue Federation, and Considering Leaving the National Team

Things are getting nasty in Brazil. A few days after the announcement that Jade Barbosa's right hand is not healing as hoped, UOL Esporte confirmed that the Barbosas are going to sue the Federation, as her father has been threatening to do for some time. More worrying, it seems that the Barbosas were serious when they said a while ago that Jade would not return to the national team unless the Federation radically changed its leadership and conditions at the national training center in Curitiba. UOL Esporte has the details...


The most infamous right hand in Brazil (photo: Reuters)

Jade will sue the Federation for damages and is considering leaving the national team

The quarrel between Jade Barbosa and the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation [CBG] keeps getting worse. With her hand no closer to recovery, the gymnast's family has now confirmed that she is going to sue the CBG for restitution of the expenses incurred for her medical treatment. Furthermore, the family is implying that the athlete may leave the Brazilian team.

Jade's stepmother, Elisete Chagas, declared to O Globo on Tuesday that the family has decided that the athlete will not show up for the national team's presentation in January, an act of protest against Maria Luciene Resende's appointment as the new President of the CBG.

"Everything will remain the same, since the same people will be in charge," said Elisete, referring to the fact that the newly elected President served as the Vice-President under former President Vicélia Florenzano.

Jade's stepmother also said that the gymnast might abandon the national team forever. "Jade has been invited to become a gymnast in the United States. She'd be a professional there. She'd live of her gymnastics," Elisete said.

Jade's family alleges a lack of interest on the part of the CBG in relation to the gymnast's hand injury, discovered in the runup to the Beijing Olympics. Also on Tuesday, the athlete's doctor, Ricarco Laranjeira, admitted to the periodical O Estado de Sao Paulo that Jade's break from training had not sorted any effect recoverywise.

"The bone is dead and there is nothing we can do about that," stated Laranjeira, referring to the necrosis in the capitate bone of Jade's right hand. The doctor does not rule out surgery, but explains that Jade may be treated with physical therapy and remedies.

"The idea is to arrive at a consensus on the form of treatment to be followed, since, this being such a rare case, there is no unamimity on how to proceed," explained Laranjeira, who intends to consult a specialist in Miami, in the United States.

Behind the scenes, Jade's stepmother points out that the CBG did not offer any [financial] support. "Everything [all the medical examinations] is being financed by Jade's father [Cesar Barbosa], and nothing could be more just than for us to take the matter to Court. We've already appointed a lawyer, and once the end-of-year festivities are over, we'll take steps," stated Elisete.