Jade Barbosa's Doctor: "We're Going to Think Positive, But Only Time Will Tell."

Cidlover beat us to it, but for the sake of completeness, we'll post our translation of the Globoesporte article that features the latest about Jade Barbosa's hand injury. We don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the story over the last few months that Jade is not in a good way. In fact, it sounds to us like Jade's career is over. We'll think positive, as she herself and her doctor are apparently doing, but it sounds bad. Here's the Globoesporte story...


(Photo: Jasmin Schneebeli-Wochner/Gymbox)

Jade's doctor consults specialists and concludes that there is no treatment for her injury

Brazilian and foreign specialists are unanimous: Problem is serious

After consulting almost one hundred colleagues, Sandro Deodato, Jade Barbosa's doctor, arrived at this conclusion: Only time will tell if the athlete will be able to continue in elite gymnastics.

According to the doctor, the gymnast's injury to her right hand was studied extensively at the Pathology and Total Arthroplasty of the Hand course taught by the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the São Paulo Academic Medical Center (USP). Brazilian and foreign specialists participated in the event, held last weekend in São Paulo. American Brian Adams of Iowa University, considered one of the world's leading experts in his specialty, held a similar opinion to the rest of his colleagues.

"Almost a hundred doctors were there and they all arrived at the same conclusion. There is no curative treatment for her. All we can do now is think about various ways to make things better for her. For now, we will just wait and see how she does in training," explained Sandro Deodato.


(photo: Reuters)

Gymnast must remain in Brazil

Deodato also got a second opinion from American specialist Alejandro Badia of the Miami Hand Center, who received and analyzed the athlete's examinations in the United States. The doctor invited the athlete and her Brazilian doctor for examinations in the USA, but that possibility has been practically discarded.

"We would like to do it, but it's very expensive. I don't know if it would be worth it," said Deodato.

Jade, who is avoiding using her arms while training at Flamengo, will be regularly reexamined by her doctor. If the gymnast continues to feel pain in her hand, she may undergo surgery to remove the bone fragments. However, such an intervention would only serve to alleviate the injury, not to cure it.

"Our objective is to keep Jade in gymnastics. It's a complicated matter. If she had another profession, it would be easier, but elite gymnastics is a demanding sport. She may turn out fine, and then again she may not. We're going to think positive, but only time will tell."

We read that as an announcement that Jade's career is effectively over, and we're genuinely sorry to hear it.

Brazil Names a New National Team

We have another installment in the great Jade Barbosa soap opera, which is beginning to veer from the tragic into the frankly somewhat absurd. Guess what happened to Jade this week, according to Globoesporte? Despite the fact that the gymnastics department of her club, Flamengo, has been saved from perdition, its water and electricity were cut off on Monday, meaning the fans weren't working and Jade, who needs to drink a lot of water because she is passing kidney stones, didn't have any water to drink. Eventually, part of the problem was solved by means of a large cooler with drinks, but still, we couldn't help shaking our heads in disbelief. Jade seems to attract bad luck like no other gymnast on the planet, except perhaps the few truly unlucky ones who are in wheelchairs now due to injuries sustained while practicing the sport. Let's hope Jade is spared that fate.

Anyhow, electricity and water cutoffs are not where Jade's problems end. According to UOL Esporte, she does not enjoy a protected status on the national team. At least, that's what new team coordinator Georgete Vidor says. Off the record, it is assumed that Jade's spot on the team is in fact being kept open for her. UOL Esporte even made that its headline today...


Jade's woes at Flamengo continue... (photo: Globoesporte)

Iryna selects new gymnastics team and keeps spots open for Jade, Daiane, and Laís

This Wednesday [today] Ukrainian coach Iryna Ilyashenko took her first decision as commander-in-chief of the Brazilian WAG team. After three days of work at the Center of Excellency in Curitiba, the coach selected the team that will serve as the basis for the next Olympic cycle.

Iryna selected nine of the twelve athletes she intends to use as the group that will seek to qualify for the London Olympics in 2012. Unofficially, three spots on the team will be kept for Daiane dos Santos, Laís Souza, and Jade Barbosa, who are recovering from injuries and did not take part in the selection camp.

In all, eighteen gymnasts took part in the tests that began on Monday in the capital of Paraná State. After analyzing such aspects as physical fitness and technical prowess, the coaches' committee, headed by Iryna, opted for a group of nine official team members and five alternates.

Of the nine official team members, five were not part of the group that worked with Oleg Ostapenko in the last cycle. They are Anna Carolina Cardoso, Bruna Leal, Nadhine Ourives, Janaina Silva, and Priscila Cobello. Still on the team: Ethiene Franco, Khiuani Dias, Ana Claudia Silva, and Daniele Hypólito, all gymnasts who joined the team last year [or much longer ago in Hypólito's case]. The alternates are Nicole Beltrame, Vitória Sampaio, Caroline Himovski, Letícia da Costa, and Nayara Sobrinho.


Ethiene Franco (photo: Stefan Wurzer/Gymnasticsunited)

"We're selecting the girls who have major potential and who stand out during the workouts held these three days. But it's clear that this team is still subject to change. We are planning another two or three selection camps where Daiane, Jade, and Laís will also be assessed. So it's not as if a girl won't be part of the team anymore just because she wasn't chosen today," said Iryna.

Juliana Santos, who was the alternate to the team that competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing, was not present at this Wednesday's selection camp either, because she is injured. She will be reassessed to know whether she will join the team. The gymnast's club, Grêmio, sent an official letter to the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation explaining the athlete's absence. Flamengo did the same thing for Jade Barbosa. On the other hand, Pinheiros, where Laís and Daiane train, did not send the Federation any notification [about its gymnasts' absence].

However, the new team coordinator, coach Georgete Vidor, insisted on emphasizing that the famous athletes do not enjoy a protected status. "We are not granting Jade, Laís, or Daiane any privileges. We want to work with twelve gymnasts on the official team and we have chosen nine girls who have shown to us that they have what it takes to be on the team. But just because three out of twelve team members are still missing, doesn't mean that we are privileging some gymnast or other," the director explained.

The technical committee has already established the dates for the next selection camps. The first reevaluation will take place at the end of April. Later, in July, the athletes will once again be subjected to analysis at Curitiba. "But if even after all these tests, we still have doubts as to whether a particular gymnast is fully ready, we will make a new assessment at the Brazilian national championship in August," said Georgete. The intention is to have a complete team for the London world championships, to be held in October.

"I'm very happy to be continuing. Gymnastics is my life and I hope to develop even more in this new cycle, together with these new girls who are joining the team," said Khiuani Dias, aged 16, who was a strong candidate to make Brazil's Olympic team, only to finish outside the group that was sent to China due to an injury to her right hand.


Khiuani Dias (photo: Stefan Wurzer/Gymnasticsunited)

The new team has a smaller basis than the one that went into the previous Olympic cycle. In 2005, when the last selection camp was held, seventeen gymnasts were invited to join the national team, which at the time was based in Curitiba. At the end of the four-year period, only nine of the seventeen gymnasts were still on the team commanded by Oleg Ostapenko.

Now, in order to try and diminish the "exodus" of athletes, the team will no longer train together in Curitiba. The gymnasts will normally train at their own clubs, and the team will only convene at certain times of the year, just before certain competitions.

Brazil: The Great Injury Post

After a considerable period of time during which all eyes were on the Rio de Janeiro gymnasts, the Brazilian press is finally paying some attention again to the São Paulo girls, Daiane dos Santos and Laís Souza, both of whom are recovering from surgical interventions.

Daiane dos Santos underwent osteotomy at the end of October 2008 to realign the bones of her right leg. According to an October 21 Globoesporte article, Daiane had become so knock-kneed that she needed surgery to straighten her leg. At the time, her doctor, orthopedic specialist Wagner Castropil, explained that he was going to make a ten-degree (!) correction to Daiane's right knee, using a titanium plate. He predicted the athlete would be able to jump again within six months. After the operation, Daiane (who intends to go on competing until the 2012 Olympics, when she will be 29) jokingly said that she was going to use the time away from the gym to find "the best floor exercise music ever."


Daiane dos Santos watches as her doctor explains at a press conference what he is going to do to her knee (photo: Agencia Estado/Globoesporte)

For her part, Laís Souza underwent arthroscopy (a relatively minor procedure) in late October to remove some cartilage from her right knee. She was expected to be out of action for two months at most. However, we guess her recovery wasn't as straightforward as expected, because three months onward, Laís is calling the situation "complicated" and seems pessimistic about her chances of taking part in the World Championships in October. Sounds like something didn't go completely according to plan there...

Anyhow, UOL Esporte caught up with the two girls last week. Here's a translation of the story, which also features a tidbit on Jade Barbosa's competitive plans for the new year.

Daiane speeds up recovery and "boycotts" the first half of the year to be able to take part in the World Championships

Daiane dos Santos is engaged in a race against a clock to recover from the surgery carried out at the end of last year and to take part in the World Championships in London, in October. In order to be able to compete in high-level competitions [later on in the year], the gymnast from Rio Grande do Sul has decided not to take part in any competitions in the first half of 2009. Now aged 25, Daiane still hopes to be a contender for a podium place at the English competition.

"I'm following all the medical recommendations I've been given and I'm taking care of the physical side of things," said the gymnast. "Even though I can't run and engage in many aerobic activities because of my knee, I'm trying not to gain too much weight." Staying away from competitions for the time being, Daiane will skip at least six World Cup competitions.


Daiane holding her troublesome right knee

At the end of 2008, Daiane underwent osteotomy in her right knee, a surgical procedure aimed at correcting skeletal deformities. It was Daiane's fourth knee operation. In 2001, the gymnast was operated on the patellar tendon of her left knee. In 2003, just weeks before the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, Daiane underwent arthroscopy in her right knee. The third operation took place in June 2004, in the runup to the Athens Olympics, when the athlete once more had a piece of cartilage removed from her right knee.

Despite the fact that she has not competed since the Beijing Olympics, Daiane still weighs about 41 kilograms, the same weight she had in China. The gymnast finished sixth on floor and was part of the first Brazilian team to make an Olympic gymnastics final. Before the Games, Daiane was considering retiring in 2009. However, she now believes she will be able to obtain better results in London. The 2003 world champion on floor did not manage to qualify for the final on her best event at the last world championships, held in Stuttgart, Germany. Even so, she is confident. "I feel I can still do a better job. If I didn't feel that way, I wouldn't compete," she stated.

Although she prioritizes floor, Daiane has not been able to train on that apparatus since undergoing her most recent surgery. For the time being, the gymnast uses the equipment at Pinheiros, the São Paulo club where she trains, only to work out on the uneven bars. However, she is not risking any landings. "[Bars] is an event where you don't have to put any strain on your knees. It's the only event I can do at the moment. But in the second half of the year I will be ready to work on my floor exercise," she said.


Pinheiros teammates Laís Souza and Daiane dos Santos (photo: Globoesporte)

Laís Souza, who, like Daiane, trains at Pinheiros, is not quite so optimistic about the World Championships anymore. She, too, is recovering from surgery on her right knee. Last year she had some pieces of cartilage removed from her knee, and now she is trying to recover.

"It's complicated. I only have limited time to get back in shape, and I don't want to go to London just to participate. Right now I don't want to give a prognosis. We'll wait and see how I'm doing in October," said the gymnast.

The women's team has not yet been named by the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation, but Laís is not the only uncertain case on the team. Jade Barbosa, who suffers from a rare condition called necrosis in her capitate bone, which causes bad blood circulation in her central bone, does not know either whether she will be in a position to compete in London.

In the event that [Jade] is not 100 percent ready for the competition, it is possible that she will only do beam, which will not require her to put a great strain on her injured hand. Daniele Hypólito is the only one of the stars of the team who is in good shape. The rest of the team will be determined by means of a selection camp whose date has not yet been established.

And finally, there's this bit of news, from another source...

Up-and-coming star Juliana Santos, an elegant gymnast who recently represented Brazil at the Arthur Gander Memorial and the Swiss Cup, is recovering from the shoulder surgery she had at the end of last year to cure the repetitive strain injury from which she had been suffering ever since March 2008. According to her coach, Adriana Alves, Santos is expected to be back in full training by the end of April. "The stitches have been removed and she's using a sling. She has begun training without the use of her arms, doing exercises for her lower limbs," Alves was quoted as saying by the site of Santos's club, Grêmio of Porto Alegre.


Juliana Santos (photo: Stefan Wurzer/Gymnasticsunited)

All Is Well That Ends Well in Brazil

Today we have two Brazilian updates for you, one regarding the goings-on in Rio de Janeiro, and another one regarding the injuries of some of the country's top gymnasts. Let's start with the latest developments in Rio de Janeiro...

As some of you may have learned from other sources, the financial crisis at the Flamengo sports club, which threatened to leave Diego and Daniele Hypólito and Jade Barbosa without a place to work out, was averted at the last minute. According to this January 26 UOL Esporte article, Flamengo's elite gymnastics program will continue to exist, thanks to the generosity of the city of Niterói, a Rio de Janeiro suburb. Reportedly the Niterói authorities will inject R$80,000 (nearly US$35,000) per month into Flamengo's gymnastics program. In exchange, the Hypólitos and Barbosa will take part in the city's projects to stimulate local kids to get involved in the sport. Now that's what we call an excellent deal...


Happy again: Diego Hypolito (photo: Lydia Gismondi/Globoesporte)

That is not all, though.

According to this February 3 Globoesporte article, the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation may get a new training center in Rio de Janeiro. As those of you who have been following our Brazilian news for a while are aware, the old center in Curitiba (the seat of the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation) was closed last year after a coaching scandal. Now the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Rio de Janeiro State University are in talks to open a new training center on the university campus. If the plans go through, the center will be equipped with the apparatus used at the 2007 Pan-American Games, which is currently in a storage facility owned by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. The establishment of the new training center is a response to the recent crisis at Flamengo, and part of Rio de Janeiro's campaign to raise its profile to further its bid for the 2016 Olympics. Presumably, the facility will be used for pre-meet training camps rather than on a permanent basis. Either way, one more fully equipped training center in Rio won't hurt...

Diego Hypolito: "Flamengo Gymnastics Is a Thing of the Past"

Things continue to be highly unsettled in Rio de Janeiro, where a distraught Diego Hypolito left a meeting with Flamengo President Marcio Braga on Friday saying, "Flamengo gymnastics is a thing of the past. It was a huge blow for me, in a year in which I was supposed to rise from the ashes."

Diego, his sister Daniele and Jade Barbosa met with Braga on Friday to discuss the future of the elite gymnastics program at Flamengo, one of Brazil's foremost multi-sport clubs. According to Globoesporte, the trio were told by Braga that he wasn't telling anyone to leave, but did not have the means to renew contracts. "We have run out of money. We cannot sign contracts that we cannot fulfill," stated Braga, who blames the global economic crisis for the situation. The only solution, he said, would be the arrival of new sponsors or public funds.


Diego Hypolito, Daniele Hypolito, and Jade Barbosa with Marcio Braga
(photo: Globoesporte)

According to other Globoesporte and UOL Esporte articles, Braga once again blamed the Brazilian Olympic Committee (which receives 2 percent of the revenues of the national lottery) for not doing enough to solve the crisis at Flamengo. "We are going through a crisis, but the resources are there," Braga stated, referring to the fortune the Brazilian Olympic Committee recently received to strengthen Rio de Janeiro's candidacy for the 2016 Olympics. "If part of those resources were made available to us, the athletes wouldn't be so unhappy today." He went on to say, "The current system cannot continue. It's a crime against society and the practice of sports."

According to Braga, the directors of Brazil's leading sports clubs (including Pinheiros, where Daiane dos Santos and Lais Souza train) will meet with the Brazilian Minister of Sport on February 4 to find a financial solution to the crisis.

After the meeting with Braga, Daniele Hypolito was quick to point out that the gymnasts still had a month to figure out what to do. However, it was obvious that her brother Diego was not inclined to wait. "I've been cast adrift. Unfortunately, we will have to start looking for a new club. We have places to go, but all I really wanted was to stay here at Flamengo. I don't have much time. I've lost my sponsors. I'm a professional. I don't want things to be like they were in the past, when I didn't have anything to eat," said the double world champion on floor, who reportedly hasn't received his wages for three months and has lost his other sources of income as well.

Apparently Diego told UOL Esporte that he and Daniele had already found a new place to train, but refused to disclose where it was. One of the options would be the new gymnastics club Flamengo's traditional rival Botafogo has offered to set up for the gymnasts in a shed adjacent to the club's stadium. Alternatively it might be an existing top club, like Pinheiros. However, that would require a move from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, and we are not sure the Hypolitos are prepared to do that.

To be continued...

Jade Barbosa and Hypolito Siblings Lose Club Contracts

It's official: Brazilian sports club Flamengo has axed its elite gymnastics program. According to Globoesporte, Flamengo President Marcio Braga announced on Wednesday that the club, most famous for its highly successful soccer program, will eliminate several of its elite sports programs, keeping only its rowing and basketball programs (and soccer, we presume). The Vice-President of the club, Delair Dumbrosck, has confirmed that the contracts of the club's three most famous gymnasts - Diego Hypolito, Daniele Hypolito and Jade Barbosa - will not be renewed, leaving the trio without a club to train at and largely without an income. Needless to say, the gymnastics-mad Brazilian media are all over the story.


Diego and Daniele Hypolito (photo: Jasmin Schneebeli-Wochner/Gymbox)

Globoesporte reports that Diego Hypolito wants to meet with Flamengo President Marcio Braga to discuss the matter. He is dismayed at having to hear about the club's plans from the media, and has asked for a personal meeting with Flamengo's President. "I want to meet Marcio Braga. In all my years at the club, I've only spoken to him a few times. It's bad to have to hear things from the media."

Hypolito has even thought of a way to help the club raise funds for its gymnastics program. "There are many ways in which Flamengo could market the Diego Hypolito brand name. If they want to make a club doll to sell, that's fine with me. If that's what it takes to keep my sport afloat, I'm obviously willing to help," Hypolito was quoted as saying.

We're not sure whether he is referring to an action figure or a doll, but we assume it's the latter - probably something like this Flamengo merchandise doll, only with his name on it.



The floor specialist also told Globoesporte: "I'm a double world champion and I know I shouldn't have to be worried about such contract matters. I'm doing my bit, but I'm dependent on sponsors. OK, I did not become Olympic champion, but that's not the end of the world, is it? I know that Flamengo's financial situation hasn't been good for years, but I should do better in 2009."

For her part, Diego's sister Daniele laments the fact that the club's officials aren't communicating with the gymnasts. According to Globoesporte, Daniele has yet to hear an official confirmation of her status from the club, having been informed of the non-renewal of her contract by the media rather than by club officials.

"Flamengo will last for years, but officials go by," Daniele was quoted as saying. "I think they should participate more in the active lives of the athletes. You can't make budget cuts without talking to people. They should speak to the athletes before doing these things," Daniele told Globoesporte.

Daniele also feels the club should be more grateful to the gymnasts who have won it acclaim over the last decade, such as Diego, Jade and herself. "I'm grateful to everyone at Flamengo, but I can't work for love alone."

Thankfully, Daniele is not entirely dependent on the club for her income. She also has a personal sponsor who pays her as much as Flamengo does.


Jade Barbosa (left) with the emblem of her club, Flamengo (photo: Globoesporte)

Meanwhile, Jade Barbosa's father, César Barbosa, says that the non-renewal of his daughter's contract indicates "a lack of respect for the athletes" on the part of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

According to Globoesporte, Mr. Barbosa was quick to remind reporters that the Brazilian Olympic Committee receives 2 percent of the revenues of the federal lotteries. He feels that some of that money should be made available to major multi-sport clubs like Flamengo, which currently receive no support from the Olympic Committee, although they produce a large percentage of Brazil's athletes.

"The Brazilian Olympic Committee is showing a lack of respect for our athletes," said Mr. Barbosa. "Artistic gymnastics has grown over the last few years and the Olympic Committee needs to adopt a more affectionate attitude toward it. It is not right that we, with three world-level gymnasts like Diego, Jade and Daniele, should find ourselves in this position. All the other gymnasts in the world are already training for the London Olympics, but without any incentive to train, [our athletes] will of necessity lag behind," said Mr. Barbosa

He hopes the club will find a way to keep the gymnasts. "Even with its problems, Flamengo is still the ideal club for the gymnasts. It has room, equipment and coaches to provide for the athletes' needs."

Jade Barbosa Rules Out Return to Competition in 2009

Jade Barbosa has yet to hear back from the American specialist she consulted a week ago, but she is already ruling out a comeback in 2009. The bronze medalist of the 2007 Worlds told Globoesporte that she does not expect to be back until 2010. Amazingly enough, she sounds remarkably upbeat about the whole thing. Here's the Globoesporte story...


(photo: Reuters)

Without CBG and Flamengo support, Jade Barbosa signs autographs in exchange for medication

Gymnast believes she will not return to top-level competition until 2010

Due to the lack of financial support for the treatment of the serious injury in her right hand, Jade Barbosa is now looking for help from her fans so as to be able to go through with the therapy she needs. In addition to the restitution of expenses offered by a São Paulo entrepreneur whose daughter is a great gymnastics fan, the athlete is counting on the solidarity of pharmacists and even of her doctor.

"My father wants the CBG (Brazilian Gymnastics Federation) to pay for the therapy, which is very expensive. At the moment, I am treating myself because people are helping me. I went to buy medicines at a pharmacy, and they gave them to me in exchange for an autographed shirt. We were paying the doctor, but he has decided to help me [for free] from now on," explained Jade, who returned from her vacation on Monday.

While waiting for an American specialist's assessment, to know whether she will have to travel to that country for treatment, Jade is doing whatever she can to return to her old training level. However, she is certain of one thing. She will not return to top-level competition until 2010.

"I'm here (at Flamengo) watching the girls, trying to be close to them and to do something whenever I can. I keep asking the doctor when things will return to normal, but I know it will take a long time for me to get back to 100 percent. I won't be able to do well in competitions until next year," the athlete said with regret.

The revelation of the gravity of Jade's injury came as a surprise to the gymnast's coach, who was hoping Jade would be able to compete on the Grand Prix circuit and especially in the World Championships in London, held in October.

"I had already begun our preparations for the World Championships and the Grand Prix competitions, but now it's difficult to make any forecasts. I'm not even thinking of competitions anymore; I just want her to be in the right head space to train," said Ricardo Pereira.

Despite her problems, Jade, who hasn't received her wages from Flamengo for six months now, promises that she has no intention of retiring from the sport.

"I like gymnastics too much to quit like this, so suddenly. I think that if I couldn't do gymnastics anymore, I'd attend workouts just for fun," she said laughing.

Interesting Developments in Brazil

First of all, Globoesporte reports that the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation has canceled the selection camp for artistic and rhythmic gymnasts and trampolinists that was supposed to take place at Curitiba, January 26-28. What with several of their top gymnasts (Daiane dos Santos, Lais Souza, Jade Barbosa) being injured and others (like Diego Hypolito) simply refusing to show up, the Federation must have felt it was no use holding the camp. No new date for a selection camp has been set yet.


Diego Hypolito (photo: Reuters)

Secondly, it seems that Jade Barbosa and the Hypolito siblings may not have to leave Rio de Janeiro after all if their club, Flamengo, does indeed go through with the planned closure of its elite gymnastics program. In an interesting turn of events, the new Olympic sports coordinator of another famous Rio de Janeiro sports club, Botafogo (like Flamengo, best known for its superb soccer team), has offered to set up a training center in a large shed adjacent to the club's Engenhão Stadium. The Botafogo coordinator, Miguel Ângelo da Luz, told Globoesporte that he would try to obtain the equipment used at the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, which is currently stored by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. He also stated that Botafogo was not trying to steal gymnasts from its traditional rival, but merely trying to help out. We'll be interested to
see how that pans out...

Injury Report

--- According to Globoesporte, Jade Barbosa is currently in America (supposedly in Miami) for a second opinion on the osteonecrosis in her right hand. "The doctor over there is used to treating elite athletes, and he is studying the problem," said Elisete Chagas, Jade's stepmother and agent. "We hope that she won't have to leave the country for treatment, because that would be very costly."

--- Despite our best efforts, we haven't been able to find any information on the injury that kept Yang Yilin from performing at the World Cup Final, beyond Lu Shanzhen's initial statement that it was a "waist injury" (which may also be translated as "lower back injury"). As far as we can tell, there hasn't been any mention of Yang in the Chinese media recently. If anyone has any information on her situation, do share it - we're intrigued by the Chinese media's silence on the subject!


Sang Lan (photo: Sina)

--- Meanwhile, things are looking up for another Chinese gymnast who sustained a much more serious injury, Sang Lan. Sang, a Chinese national vault champion who got paralyzed when a timer vault went horribly awry at the 1998 Goodwill Games, is probably China's most famous disabled person. Sina reports that she was very busy in 2008, traveling around the world as an ambassador for the Olympics and Paralympics. She also carried the Olympic torch the day before the Games began. Sang recently told Chinese reporters that 2008 was a great year for her and that her main hope for 2009 is to be able to learn how to drive a car. "If it's possible, I'd like to try and drive my own car. That would make me so happy." She went on to explain that being able to leave the house on one's own is a great hope for any disabled person, but conceded that it might be difficult to fulfill her wish, as it's hard for disabled people in China to get an adapted car, or a driver's license for that matter. Yet Sang remains optimistic. "Things can only get better, right? I'm sure a day will come [that I can drive a car]." (Check out this link for a recentish New York Times interview with Sang Lan.)

--- Dutch national team members Suzanne Harmes and Sanne Wevers appear to be recovering well from the injuries that prevented them from shining at the World Cup Final. Both gymnasts performed at the Univé Gym Galas held in three Dutch towns just after the World Cup Final. Their heavily watered-down but none too painful-looking routines can be seen in this ten-minute, high-quality video, which takes a long time to load but does give a good impression of the galas. It also shows a rather heavy Chellsie Memmel performing her bar routine, as well as glimpses of several other performers strutting their stuff.


Yvette Moshage (photo: Iris van den Broek/Gymnasticsphotography)

--- Meanwhile, another Dutch gymnast, promising junior Yvette Moshage, seems to be less lucky. Moshage, second to Jordyn Wieber at Top Gym, twisted her knee on her dismount in the beam final of the Belgian competition. According to her website, Moshage has been diagnosed with a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament, a serious injury which will require a long recovery period. Ouch.

--- Finally, according to a print article we sadly can't reproduce here (L'Equipe, December 17), Russian-born French veteran Dimitri Karbanenko (aged 35!) underwent arthroscopy in Cagnes-sur-Mer on December 17. The article says Karbanenko has had problems with his left meniscus ever since the spring of 2006, but never had time to have it looked at. He wanted to shine one last time at the Beijing Olympics, but just missed out on a spot in the high bar final, and didn't make the all-around final either as he was outscored by his teammates Caranobe and Bouhail. He can't see himself performing at another Olympics. He may stick around for a little while longer to perform on a few events, but not for long, he insists: "I've never been able to do things just for the sake of doing them. I need a motivation, but I don't have one anymore. So I think I'll gradually retire."


Dimitri Karbanenko in Beijing, powerful as ever (photo: Reuters)

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.

Barbosa's Injury Serious After All

Hello everyone. We hope you all had a good Christmas. We certainly did, and we expect good things from the new year too.

Unfortunately, things aren't going so well in the gymnastics world. Nearly all the stories we've come across over the last few days are about strife, injuries and other reasons for concern. We'll share them with you, but don't expect them to cheer you up. It's not that time of year. Or is it?

Anyhow. On to our first story of the day, which concerns none other than Triple Full regular Jade Barbosa.


(photo: Reuters)

A while ago we reported that Jade was doing well. The Brazilian superstar was said to be recovering well from her hand injury, and quoted as saying she hoped to resume serious training soon.

Turns out that that diagnosis was a bit premature.

According to her official site, Jade was recently submitted to a new examination of her right hand, and the results were not favourable. According to the doctor treating Barbosa, Ricardo Laranjeira, the gymnast's injury has improved from a clinical point of view, but is in a critical state from a radiological point of view. Apparently the necrosis in the capitate bone, a small bone in the middle of the hand, has not recently bothered Jade, who has been given the green light to resume training. However, Dr. Laranjeira confirmed that the pain may return any minute.

"At the moment she has little pain and is free to resume physical activity," Laranjeira said in an interview with Régis Rösing of TV Globo, summarized by Globoesporte. "But the injury may get painful again. We can't say for sure when the injury will be healed; it's possible that it will never heal. We'll see how it goes, but it could be an irreversible injury."

Laranjeira went on to say that he couldn't give a prognosis in terms of performance. "What may or may not keep her from competing is pain."

He also said, "It's a degenerative injury which causes pain. Therefore, it is being reevaluated. I examined her 2 months ago and 15 days ago. Furthermore, we will seek a second opinion from a foreign colleague so as to establish a more definitive path of Jade."


Jade's hands (photo: Reuters)

Given the gravity of the injury, the case will be reviewed by a medical team from the United States and studied at medical conferences and clinics. Jade will probably have to leave the country to continue her treatment.

Jade Confirms: I'm on the Mend

It took them a while to get around to it, but in the end Globoesporte posted the update we were waiting for. And it's good. According to the Brazilian site, Jade Barbosa is recovering well from her hand injury. She hopes to resume proper training in January, and in the meantime she's having a great time with her Flamengo clubmates, Diego and Daniele Hypolito.


Proof that Jade Barbosa CAN smile! (Photo: Reuters)

We decided to translate the whole article for you. Enjoy!

In spite of her injury, Jade finds "a gymnastics family" and joy in Rio de Janeiro

Ignoring the scandals, the athlete says she will soon resume normal training

Injured, but happy. That short phrase has summarized Jade Barbosa's life since the gymnast returned to Rio de Janeiro to train there, last September. Despite a serious injury to her right hand and her strained relationship with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation, the athlete keeps smiling during her workouts at the Flamengo club and is confident that she'll make a full recovery.

"Yes, I'm still injured, but I'm happy," said Jade. "Technically, it's not so different here from [the national training center at] Curitiba, but I'm closer to my family and my friends, and that makes all the difference."

Last week, Jade was given another reason to be glad. After sparing her injured hand for over two months, she received the news she'd been hoping to hear: That her chances of recovery are good.

"I'm feeling much better. I'm not considering quitting working out. God willing, I'll resume normal training in January," said Jade. She'll have a few more examinations over the next few weeks to assess the state of her hand following treatment.

"Gradually, she'll start doing gymnastics routines again," explained her coach, Ricardo Pereira. Jade's good relationship with her coach appears to be part of the reason why the gymnast is in such high spirits. Equally important is her friendship with Diego and Daniele Hypolito, who train at the same Rio de Janeiro club.

"Jade is a girl who needs support. She's spending too much time at home, so we're going to lots of places together. We're a true gymnastics family. I'm moving house, and Jade is coming to see the house with us to choose a place of her own," said Diego Hypolito.

His sister Daniele chimed in to say that she and Jade "are like sisters." Last Monday the two of them went to a beauty parlor together after their afternoon workout. It's something they could get used to, having a routine outside the gym.


Jade and Daniele (and Diego in the background, it seems) at their club in Rio de Janeiro. Look at the smile on Jade! (Photo: Globoesporte)

"We now have a social life. We take walks, go shopping..." says Jade.

Training at a great club, Jade is also beginning to learn how to deal with a common occurrence for teen idols: Being besieged by fans. "Every now and then we get boys here in the gym who say sweet things. But I'm not falling for it!" the 17-year-old athlete quickly added.

We're glad to hear it, Jade. And equally glad to hear you may be gracing the apparatus again next year.

Injuries: Barbosa, Ferrari, Severino

Rumor has it that China beat Russia, Australia, Brazil, France senior, Romania, the Netherlands, and France junior (in that order) at the Massilia Gym Cup, but we haven't seen any official results yet, so we guess we'll just have to talk about injuries instead.

There's still no news about Jade Barbosa, who was supposed to have an MRI scan a few days ago. We're keeping an eye on the Brazilian sports sites, but so far there haven't been any updates. We hope that doesn't mean Jade is bracing herself for a retirement announcement.


Vanessa Ferrari (photo: Gazzetta dello Sport)
We do have news about Vanessa Ferrari. A few days ago, a major Italian sports paper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, posted an update on the former world champion with the somewhat worrying title, "Ferrari, A Cannibal Experiencing an Identity Crisis." Reportedly the 18-year-old from Brixia, who has been suffering from an Achilles tendon injury and deep bursitis in her right leg for some time now, is getting very frustrated because despite 3 months' rest and 2 months' rehab [presumably these two overlap, as we could have sworn we saw Vanessa at the Olympics 3 months ago...], she is nowhere near healthy enough to resume training. "The Cannibal" (as she is known in the Italian press) will have physical therapy for one more month before deciding whether another operation is in order. If she ever makes it back to the gym, she'll have her work cut out for her, as it seems she has some excess weight to shed. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, "Vani" is currently seven kilos (15.4 Lbs) overweight. Yeah, that would plunge us into an identity crisis too.

Good luck, Vanessa. We hope to see you back at some point, with or without those added 7 kilos.


Isabelle Severino
Meanwhile, it seems that Isabelle Severino, who tore her Achilles tendon just before the Europeans, actually called it quits a few days after the accident. However, she's not totally done with the sport. Rumor has it Severino is running for a position in the Directorate of the French Gymnastics Federation. Elections are to be held next week, on November 29. Stay tuned...

Flamengo Talk

After all that stuff about the DTB Cup and injuries, we feel it's incumbent on us to resume our reporting on the Brazilian team. Because, you know, they have injuries too!

The latter sentence would probably be funny if it weren't so hideously true. But unfortunately it's all too true.

Let's start with Jade Barbosa, shall we? According to Globoesporte, Jade didn't recover from her "renal crisis" (read: kidney stones) last week, so the scheduled MRI of her hand didn't happen. She's now scheduled to have it tomorrow. We hope she can actually undergo the examination this time, and that the results won't be too depressing.


Jade Barbosa (photo: Reuters)
Meanwhile, some rather alarming news has reached us concerning the anti-inflammatory drug with which Jade claims the Federation overdosed her during the Olympics and the preceding months, Prexige. Our reader D informed us that Prexige was banned in Brazil a while ago for causing serious liver damage. So we looked into it, and it turns out it has actually been banned in a lot of places. See, for instance, this notice by the Australian government, released over a year ago (!). It's an urgent medicine recall in which Prexige is listed as a Class I drug, which means that its defects are "potentially life-threatening" or could cause "a serious risk to health." Prexige comes in three formulations: 100mg, 200mg, and 400mg. Jade claims she took two or three 400mg tablets a day for several months. She's obviously still alive, but we shudder to think what damage the medicine might have done to her liver.

Try to put yourself in Jade Barbosa's shoes now. You're suffering from a potentially career-threatening hand injury, a foot injury, and kidney stones, and on top of that you have to wonder whether the pills your team doctor prescribed to you might have damaged your liver...? It's all a bit much, really. We haven't always been fans of Jade, but right now we're sending good vibes her way like you wouldn't believe. She obviously needs them harder than Ksenia Semyonova and Anna Pavlova combined. And we're saying that with all the love in our Ksenia-and-Anna-adoring hearts.

As for the MRI, we'll keep you posted.


Jade Barbosa (photo: Reuters)
Meanwhile, Jade's teammates at Flamengo, Diego and Daniele Hypolito, aren't exactly leading dull lives either. They were at the DTB Cup last weekend, baffling spectators and critics alike by being, well, less than stellar. Heidemarie even gave Diego a tongue-lashing for throwing a simple double twist dismount on floor after a press to handstand had gone awry, thus ruining his chances of a gold medal.

Turns out poor Diego actually had an excuse. He is - you've guessed it - injured. He's suffering a bad backache, and only went to Stuttgart because he wanted to make sure he'd qualify to the World Cup Final. He scored just enough points to do so on both floor and vault, but it wasn't easy. "In my floor exercise I tried to do a compulsory strength and balance element called an 'inverted cross,'" said the 2005 and 2007 world champion. "I didn't manage the first time around because it hurt so much, but my second attempt was successful."

And here we were giving him a hard time for throwing a double twist after that. Our apologies, Diego.


The coolest picture of Diego Hypolito you'll ever find
Meanwhile, Diego's sister Daniele (who just competed in her first individual final since the 2007 Pan-American Games) is busy making plans for the future. Although she's 24, she's by no means ready to retire yet. We're guessing that means that she, for one, is not nursing any serious injuries. Knock on wood.

According to Daniele, she wasn't planning to go to Germany last week, but when the other girls withdrew from the competition, she decided to make it part of her plans for - yes, we're getting to it - London 2012.

"After four years and all the effort I put into going to the Beijing Olympics, I didn't expect to be in great shape now. I decided, pretty much at the last minute, to compete here in Stuttgart to show everyone, especially myself, that I am an active gymnast and that I can still be competitive in the sport."


Daniele Hypolito (photo: Reuters)
She's thinking of changing the way she trains, though. "Until Beijing, I always strove to be a complete gymnast, to do the all-around, to do all four events. Now I believe I'll only be able to do that for one or two more years, tops. For 2012, I'll do my best to become a specialist, to prioritize one or two events."

She's not sure yet what those one or two events will be, but she's sure specializing is the way to go. "I'm old, so I'll have to be very good on one apparatus and secure on another one if I'm to help the team," Daniele said last weekend.

Interestingly, Daniele doesn't seem to be involved in the row that her teammates Jade, Daiane, and Lais are having with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation. "I'm training with Jade at Flamengo, but I'm staying out of this dispute between the Federation and the girls," Daniele said last weekend. "I don't even want to get involved in the election of the new president of the Federation [in December]. I only want to show people my gymnastics."

According to certain sources, Daniele has actually reprehended her teammate Jade for criticizing the Federation. This is all the more remarkable since Daniele has been reported to have had a few clashes with the Federation herself over the last ten years.


Daniele and Jade at the Beijing Olympics (photo: Reuters)
Next up: a post about the Sao Paulo girls, Daiane dos Santos and Lais Souza. Because they're injured too, and because Daiane's injury is actually kind of interesting. Stay tuned.

The Brazilian Scandal: Part 2

We promised you we'd get back to you on the Brazilian scandal. So here we are, presenting our findings. Brace yourselves - it's going to be a long ride.

Over the last few days we've translated our way through several months' worth of gymnastics articles in Portuguese, courtesy of Gymblog Brasil. Most of Gymblog's posts seem to come straight from UOL Esporte and Globoesporte, two of Brazil's largest and most reliable sports sites. We haven't been able to trace all the stories posted in the blog, but we're sure they're legit, so we have no qualms about reprinting them here.

While digging our way through Gymblog Brasil's archives, we came across some interesting stories. (For instance, did you know that Diego Hypolito had a bout of dengue fever a few months before the Olympics? Neither did we. Poor Diego. We've been told by those in the know that dengue fever is unbelievably painful.) In addition, we came across a great interview with Daiane dos Santos which we hope to translate and publish in a few days' time. We learned more about Dos Santos and Laís Souza's injuries than we ever thought we'd care to know. But most of all, we learned why Jade Barbosa always looks like she's about to burst into tears. The girl is having a rough time of it. She really is. Right now she's suffering from kidney stones and a stress fracture in her left foot, and the bones in her right hand are alleged to be as porous as a 50-year-old's. We wish we were making this shit up, but alas, we're not.


Jade and her brother (photo: Globoesporte)

Anyhow, we've decided to spread the story out over a few days so as not to make it too unwieldy. Even so, today's post will be humongous. It will focus mostly on Jade Barbosa and the scandal she unleashed after Beijing. Expect more news about Laís Souza and Daiane dos Santos in a separate post.

First of all, it seems the Barbosa family and the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation have been at loggerheads for a while. Back in July, Cesar Barbosa, Jade's father, was complaining that Jade hadn't received her Federation stipend since January, and questioning the Federation's integrity in contractual matters. But things didn't turn really ugly until September 4, when Mr. Barbosa told the Brazilian press that Jade was suffering from a hand injury and had been doing so for a while. He said it had been obvious to anyone watching her train before the Olympics that she was not going to win the Olympic medals many people were expecting her to bring home.

"Anyone who attended Jade's workouts before the Olympics could see she wasn't going to do well in Beijing," said Cesar Barbosa. "She was in a lot of pain and had lost some of her flexibility. If Jade couldn't even do her exercises properly in training, she obviously wasn't going to obtain good results in Beijing."


Jade Barbosa (photo: FIG)
Mr. Barbosa went on to say that the family was waiting for the results of the medical examinations Jade had undergone the week before to be announced before deciding whether the gymnast required surgery or not. Furthermore, he reported that according to the first doctor who had examined 17-year-old Jade, the bones in her injured hand looked as porous as a 50-year-old's. Her father claimed that this was because "she was forced to train excessively for Beijing, with extreme workouts that were necessary for her to look good there." Mr. Barbosa noted that his daughter had nursed several injuries in her right hand since January, and had not been given sufficient time to stop training and focus on medical treatment instead.

On September 6, the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation's top physician, Dr. Mário Namba, refuted the charges, saying that Jade had been healthy enough to compete in the Beijing Olympics. According to Namba, the athlete had received appropriate care for the injury to her right hand, sustained at the beginning of the year.

"During our training camp in Japan and during the Olympics, Barbosa had a completely normal training regimen," claimed Namba. "Yes, her hand hurt, but we subjected it to conservative treatment, including physical therapy, which allowed it to function properly. If she had been unable to train, we wouldn't have let her compete."

Namba went on to say, "At the beginning of the year, she had an X-ray and complementary examinations. At the time, we opted for conservative therapy. Initially we didn't focus on surgery options. Our treatment yielded appropriate results and allowed Barbosa to perform well during the first half of the year."

Jade in Beijing (photo: Reuters)
Then there was silence for about a week, until September 12, when Jade granted an interview to the Folha de Sao Paulo in which she accused the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation of overdosing her with medicine during the Olympics, causing her to be nauseous and shaky.

The Rio de Janeiro native told the newspaper that she had started to take the anti-inflammatory drug Prexige in February to control the pain in her hand. The drug was prescribed to her by Mário Namba, the Federation's physician. At first, Barbosa took one 400 g tablet per day. By July (when the team was training in Japan) she was on two tablets a day, and by August, during the Olympics, she was taking three pills a day. According to specialists consulted by the Folha de Sao Paulo, it was a case of extreme overmedication.

"I took the pills because of the pain in my hand," Barbosa told the paper. "At first, the pain subsided a bit, but later I began to vomit a lot. I couldn't train well and constantly had the feeling that I didn't have any strength left in my legs."

The gymnast also claimed in the interview that the Federation forbade its athletes to drink water during workouts. "Our coaches wouldn't let us drink water. We could only spray a little water into our mouths to try and refresh our bodies, but secretly we'd try to drink it," said Barbosa.

She then told the newspaper about the kidney stones she has had since 2007, which she blames on the measures adopted by the Federation. "When I was passing kidney stones, I was told by the doctor to drink 1.5 liters of water a day, but the coaches only let me drink a little, and I had to listen to jokes all the time: 'There goes Jade again, taking a sip of her water.'"


Daiane dos Santos (photo: FIG)
The next day, on September 13, Daiane dos Santos admitted that she too had been injured when competing in Beijing. Unlike Cesar Barbosa though, Dos Santos claimed that there had been nothing unusual about the team's preparation for the Olympics. According to Dos Santos, it was the same preparation the team had had before the 2004 Olympics, which saw the girls working out from 8 to 12 AM and from 4 to 7 PM each day.

But Jade Barbosa's story about neglected injuries was about to be confirmed by others. On September 15, UOL Esporte reported the cases of two former national team members who had had problems of their own with the Federation's management and medical staff.

The first case was that of Maíra dos Santos Silva, now 17 years of age, who was a national team member in 2005 and 2006. Maíra left the national training center at Curitiba after having been informed by the Director of the Federation's Medical Department, Mário Namba, that her shoulder required surgery due to torn ligaments and tendons. But according to the former gymnast, she only needed that operation because the Federation had previously neglected to treat an injury and lied to her about the gravity of her situation.

"I often complained about pain to the coaches and Dr. Namba," Dos Santos Silva was quoted as saying. "They'd only give me an anti-inflammatory drug and say I was being fussy. I had several medical examinations, and they always told me the pain was due to dislocation, nothing bad. But one day I couldn't compete anymore, and then they suddenly said I needed an operation."

Maíra said she had gotten injured when she fell during a series of uneven bar routines in February 2006. She claimed the Federation's physicians told her she had merely dislocated her shoulder, and refused to show her the results of the medical examinations. The athlete was discouraged from undergoing surgery. By August 2006, she was unable to train and compete. Shortly afterwards, when she had decided to leave the team, she discovered that she had been lied to.

"I had an MRI scan after my fall, but I wasn't granted access to the results of the scan. When I left the team, I asked for the papers regarding the examinations I'd had after the fall. It was then that I discovered that I had suffered a partial tear in 2006. Only I wasn't aware of it at the time because they never told me. I continued to compete, so the injury only got worse," she said.

Maíra's complaints worried her mother, Sônia Maria, who worked for the Federation as a kind of housekeeper at the Curitiba hostel where the gymnasts lived. Sônia consulted Federation official Eliane Martins, the team coordinator, on the possibility of getting a second opinion on the injury of her daughter, who often returned from workouts complaining about pain in her shoulder. She was met with threats.

"When I asked Eliane [Martins] about the injury, she told me: 'If you want to take her to another doctor, go ahead and do it. But if you do that, no Federation doctor will ever see her again. If she has any complaints in the future, you'll just have take her to your own doctor.' It seemed absurd to me, but as I am from São Paulo and didn't know anything in Curitiba, I ended up accepting the situation," said Sônia, who now lives in Presidente Prudente with her daughter.

Sônia also revealed that the Federation's managers chose to let Maíra compete despite her injury. "Although the MRI scan performed at the end of August indicated that [Maíra] needed surgery, Eliane and the coaches suggested she do not get an operation, as they wanted her to compete in November," said Sônia.


Maíra's case is very similar to that of Roberta Monari, another gymnast who left the national team and now works for Cirque du Soleil in Canada. According to a source close to the gymnast (a source who wishes to remain anonymous), Roberta Monari spent the better part of 2006 complaining of pain in her right foot. Like Maíra dos Santos Silva, she wasn't taken seriously.

"When she said she was in pain and started crying during workouts, they said that she was making excuses so as not to have to train, that she was being fussy. Until the national championships in Goiânia, where she suffered a simple fall during warmup and couldn't compete anymore. Then they finally had her examined and found that she had torn her Achilles tendon. But they had lied to her, because they had known there was a partial tear there ever since April, only they hadn't told her so. When they had announced the examination results, they had said the tendon wasn't completely torn so that she'd agree to compete until the end of the year, wearing some sort of ankle boot," the source said.

Mário Namba, the doctor in charge of the Federation's medical department, was not available for comments at the time of the publication of the article. On behalf of the Federation, Eliane Martins stated that there was no truth to the allegations. She also denied that she had withheld examination results from Maíra dos Santos Silva and neglected Roberta Monari's injury.

"It's strange to see that a while ago, everyone thought the Federation was doing a great job. Now people are changing their minds, and all of a sudden we're doing everything wrong. Interesting to note that these people never started complaining until now. Pure opportunism," Eliane Martins told reporters.


Jade in Beijing (photo: Reuters)
But the story didn't end there. A few weeks later, on October 4, Cesar Barbosa (who was still waiting for a definitive diagnosis of Jade's hand injury) announced that his daughter wouldn't represent Brazil while the current management of the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation remained in charge.

"A return to the team would be risky and I don't want her to run the risk of these things happening again," said Mr. Barbosa in a telephone interview. He was quite emphatic about the whole thing, stating that Jade would only compete for Brazil if the Federation changed leadership.

"Jade will only go back there if there's a change of management. That's our only condition."

The Barbosas may not have to wait very long for the change of management to happen. The current management team's contract expires in December, and Ms. Martins and her team have announced that they will not seek re-election. They claim this decision has nothing to do with the current scandal. "The decision was made in 2006. We've been in charge for long enough," said Eliane Martins, who is part of a group which has run the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation for 17 years, on 7 November.

Meanwhile, Daiane dos Santos and Laís Souza have also distanced themselves from the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation, albeit in a slightly more subtle way. Both athletes recently underwent surgery; neither of them bothered to go through the official channels, arranging everything through their club (Pinheiros) instead. Reportedly the Federation officials were among the last people to be told that Daiane dos Santos had decided to have an osteotomy.

"We sent the Federation an official letter yesterday, saying that we wouldn't do any more competitions for the rest of the year," was all Dos Santos was prepared to say on the subject on October 21. "We're doing everything with the support of our club. The team is in Curitiba and we're here at our club."


Meanwhile, according to a November 11 report, Jade Barbosa has been diagnosed with necrosis in a small bone in the center of her hand. According to her doctor, it's a serious injury caused by repetitive strain. And apparently she's recovering from a small stress fracture in her left foot too.

According to her father, Jade has not done any serious training for two months. "She goes to the gym, sees the girls, and wants to train with them, but she can't. She's only doing leg exercises," Mr. Barbosa was quoted as saying on November 9. He lamented the fact that Jade would miss the World Cup Final in Spain in December. "This is messing up her plans. She's upset and has had psychological counseling since the Olympics."

Moreover, Jade still doesn't know whether her right hand is improving at all. She was supposed to have a new MRI last Monday to assess the state of her hand, but according to a November 11 report, a painful kidney stone attack prevented her from going through with the examination. Jade, who has suffered from kidney stones since 2007, started to feel bad at the end of last week. If she recovers in time, the examination will still be carried out this week. The results of the examination will determine whether or not Cesar Barbosa will sue the Federation for negligence.

Interestingly enough, it seems that no one is blaming Oleg Ostapenko, the Ukrainian coach who was in charge of the Brazilian women's team from 2001 to August 2008, for the current crisis.

While Jade Barbosa has admitted to having had her share of problems with Ostapenko, she seems keen on remembering only the good things about the former head coach. On August 18, just before Ostapenko was due to leave the country, she was quoted as saying, "When he goes away, people won't remember the bad things. The bad things don't matter anymore now. What matters is that Brazil has improved over the last few years."

For her part, Daiane dos Santos believes that Brazil must go on doing things the way Ostapenko did them. "We have to learn how to use what we've learned from him," she said on August 18. "We mustn't go and change things, we must go on the same way."


Oleg Ostapenko with Barbosa (photo: Globoesporte)
To prove that Ostapenko wasn't necessarily the bad guy in the Brazilian story, it was revealed on October 16 that São Paulo's Pinheiros club (where Daiane dos Santos and Laís Souza have trained since leaving the national training center in Curitiba) had offered Ostapenko a job when his contract with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation expired, which we doubt the club would have done if its two greatest stars had any serious complaints about their former coach. However, the club and the Ukrainian coach couldn't come to an agreement. "In his eyes, a top-level coach only works with three athletes at a time. We wanted him to work with all our gymnasts. Not that he was supposed to personally coach all the girls in the various categories, but we did want him to supervise the whole program. He didn't want that," João Vicente Axe, Director of Artistic Gymnastics at Pinheiros, told UOL Esporte.

UOL Esporte also revealed that Ostapenko's departure from Brazil may not be definitive. Before he returned to Ukraine, the coach returned the keys of the house he used to live in to the Federation's managers. However, according to UOL Esporte, he also bought an apartment in Curitiba, leading some to believe that he might return soon.

To be continued, we expect.

And Now for a Brazilian Scandal...

Perhaps we like our scandals a bit too much, but however that may be, we think 2008 has been a stellar year for coaching scandals.

The first scandal to be reported (albeit sketchily) was that surrounding Holland's Esther Heijnen, who used to coach both Verona van de Leur and Suzanne Harmes. Half a year ago, Heijnen was fired by her club following allegations by some of her lesser-known gymnasts that she had ignored them in favor of her more famous stars and encouraged them to develop eating disorders. Harmes and Van de Leur stood by Heijnen, who later got a job at a newly established club, taking Harmes with her. It's unclear whether the case resulted in any legal steps being taken, but it was obviously a very acrimonious affair.

Then, across the Atlantic, Ivana Hong did her damnedest to ruin Al Fong's already checkered career. That story is still ongoing, and we're following it with great interest.

Now the Brazilian gymnastics world is reeling from a coaching scandal involving three of the country's most famous female gymnasts: Jade Barbosa, Daiane dos Santos, and Laís Souza.


Jade Barbosa (photo: Reuters)

According to Gymblog Brasil, Barbosa, Dos Santos, and Souza claimed after the Olympics that the coaches at the national training center in Curitiba had forced them to train until they were exhausted and ignored their medical complaints.

Jade Barbosa's father and agent, Cesar Barbosa, confirmed at the beginning of September that his daughter was injured when she competed in Beijing. She was suffering from an injury to her right hand, osteonecrosis, which prevented her from completely flexing and extending her fingers. According to the Brazilian newspaper, Diario de Sao Paulo, Mr Barbosa was considering suing the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation for letting his daughter compete with a serious injury.

Daiane dos Santos and Laís Souza then went on record as supporting Barbosa's allegations, saying that they too had been nursing injuries when taking part in the Olympics. Moreover, they disclosed that the athletes' daily calorie intake at the national training center had not exceeded 800, a ridiculously low amount for athletes who train several hours a day.


Daiane dos Santos

Following an investigation by UOL Esporte (an online sports magazine) last month, two former gymnasts, Roberta Monari and Maíra dos Santos Silva, stepped forward to join in the chorus. They claimed that not only had their injuries been ignored at Curitiba, but they had been forbidden to drink water during training and been humiliated by the coaches. Dos Santos Silva claimed that she had suffered ill treatment and humiliation at the hands of the national team coaches, as well as at the hands of the supervisor of the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation, Ms. Eliane Martins.

Last Thursday, Ms. Martins herself allegedly told the Diario de Sao Paulo that she would sue the girls for defamation and that they would have to back up their claims in court. "It's easy to say things," Martins was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "We'll see how well these claims stand up when the girls are called to justice."

According to the Diario article, the Federation's lawsuit would only involve the three gymnasts who had said they weren't fit enough to compete in Beijing. "We won't say whether it's true or not," Martins was quoted as saying. "We only want evidence. It's a legal process and we're not going to discuss it in the media."

The next day, Daiane dos Santos and Laís Souza downplayed the threat of being sued by Martins. The two athletes said they didn't believe the Federation would take the case to court. Furthermore, they didn't think their own statements had been particularly offensive.

Laís Souza said it was perfectly obvious that she wasn't in great shape at the time of the Olympics, as she had just had surgery a few weeks previously to remove cartilage from her knee.

"I don't see why she [Eliane Martins] should adopt this attitude," said Souza. "All athletes compete injured. I often say that the day I wake up without feeling any pain is the day I'm dead. I competed with an injury and I was aware of it. I wasn't accusing anyone. Now if she chooses to take it that way and sue me, that's her choice, but I'm sure the case won't go anywhere," said Souza.


Lais Souza (photo: Reuters)

For her part, Daiane dos Santos said that she could easily prove that she was injured at the time of the Olympics. Dos Santos underwent surgery at the end of last month. She had an osteotomy to correct deformities in her spine. It was her third such operation.

When contacted by UOL Esporte, Daiane dos Santos's lawyer said he attached no importance to Eliane Martins's threats. "I doubt she can win a case like this. If the Federation wants to sue Daiane, they'll have to prove she wasn't injured. It's the Federation who will have to present evidence, not Daiane," said Dos Santos's lawyer.

By now the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation has denied that it plans to sue Barbosa, Souza, and Dos Santos. In an official statement released in the Diario de Sao Paulo last Saturday, the Federation denies that Eliane Martins ever threatened to sue any gymnasts or former gymnasts. The Federation's statement reads as follows: "By means of this statement, the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation wishes to declare publicly that the information released by certain media last Friday (November 7, 2008) regarding the gymnasts Jade Barbosa, Daiane dos Santos, and Laís Souza is incorrect. Eliane Martins never mentioned that she would sue the above-mentioned athletes in the interview granted last Thursday (November 6, 2008) to the Diario de Sao Paulo, which has now been reprinted by other media. The Federation has not taken legal action against any gymnast or former gymnast, nor does it intend to do so."

It's still an awful lot of bad press for the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation.