The artistic gymnastics competition for women is scheduled to begin on Sunday morning in Japan (Saturday night in the Caribbean)
Members of the country’s 62-member team are arriving in Tokyo ahead of the games that officially begin tomorrow morning and right off the bat, it appears as if injury is playing an early role.
Gymnast Danusia Francis has revealed that she had an injured left knee. The severity of the injury is unknown but she is still managing to get her practice sessions in albeit with some amount of caution. The athlete, only the second female gymnast to represent Jamaica at the Olympics, posted pictures on her Instagram account knee on Tuesday and again on Wednesday that showed her heavily bandaged knee.
On Friday morning, she confirmed what the pictures were showing when she posted, “The arena is stunning. Unfortunately, I do have a knee injury so only bars today, but happy with my performance and enjoyed myself out there.” It is unclear whether she suffered the injury prior to or after her arrival in Japan.
She also posted a video of herself leaping and landing with stability, which might be an indication that the injury is not too severe.
Francis is expected to perform well at the Olympics on the strength of outstanding performances in her routines in Spain in June while competing for gymnastics club Xelska.
“My performances were really good. I was extremely happy with my bar routine, I got a really good score there, and then my vault was good,” she said at the time.
“I did make a mistake on (the) beam but as I mentioned, I was only supposed to do three of the events and the beam was a last-minute decision so I was a bit flustered and it was kind of an uncharacteristic mistake so nothing that I can’t fix.”
Reflecting on the challenging journey, Coach Marco Airale shared heartfelt sentiments about the injury and Anderson's perseverance throughout the rehabilitation process.
"A year ago, I experienced a moment as a coach that you never want to happen to one of your athletes. After a bad fall through the hurdles, we discovered that Brit had injured her knee, rupturing her ACL and meniscus," Coach Airale recalled. "Since that day, Brit has worked tirelessly and demonstrated incredible trust in the process that ultimately saw her returning to running over the hurdles."
Coach Airale extended his gratitude to the medical professionals and support team who played vital roles in Anderson's recovery. "Thanks again to Doctor Bartels and his team for the opportunity they gave me to assist her during the surgery. Thanks to my staff and a big shoutout to @mattiacecconi (Mattia Cecconi) as the physio who has followed Brit throughout the entire journey," he expressed.
Anderson, in a rare personal reflection shared on Instagram, expressed deep gratitude and spiritual resilience throughout the challenging journey of rehabilitation. "I’ve never been the type to be open on Instagram, but I feel like I owe it to the Lord and to the most incredible team He placed behind me," Anderson wrote. "The day I got injured, that very moment when I heard that loud pop in my knee, I knew something was wrong but surprisingly I wasn’t worried... I remember falling to the ground and the first thing I said was 'Lord, I trust you'."
Anderson continued, "I’m super grateful for that peace that carried me through and still carrying me. I’m grateful for my coach for being there and being patient with me @coach_air_, I’m grateful for @mattiacecconi, my physiotherapist, for being there every step of the way and also for encouraging me on the days when I felt overpowered by the blood, sweat, tears, and effort I had to pour into the work."
Amidst the challenges, Anderson found personal growth and resilience. "It wasn’t an easy process, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’ve grown so much throughout this process, not just on the track but in my personal life as well," she reflected.
Anderson concluded her heartfelt message by sharing her newfound strength and faith. "If someone would say to me a year ago that I’ll rupture my ACL and Meniscus one day, every day of my life I would step on that track in front of all the obstacles I have to run over in fear," she expressed. "I would walk in fear of the thought of being hurt because I would never think I could overcome the process, but I DID IT! And I didn’t do it alone, I did it with Christ Jesus."
Anderson's remarkable journey serves as an inspiring testament to resilience, faith, and the unwavering support of her coach, medical team, and faith community as she prepares to return to competition at the highest level.
In the words of her coach, "Welcome back, Brit. The future is yours!"
The 36-year-old Jamaican was expected to open her season in the 100m at the meet where she ran a then world-leading 10.67s. She arrived in Kenya earlier this week after winning the 2023 Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Monday.
However, according to Sports Brief, the three-time Olympic gold medallist suffered the injury while training and has left the country to seek specialized treatment in Italy.
Fraser-Pryce missed the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29 citing a 'family emergency.'
Sources indicate that the 22-year-old Anderson suffered the injury after falling over a hurdle and damaged a ligament in her left knee. While the injury is serious, Anderson, who is currently wearing a knee brace, is expected to make a full recovery.
The forlorn Anderson confirmed the sad news on her Instagram account on Thursday.
"The beauty of sport and life is in its ups and downs - in its wins and losses. We cannot possibly understand the beauty of the highest mountain peak without climbing from the depths of the valley," she said.
"That being said, these past few weeks have been personally challenging for me as I've had to deal with a significant injury to my knee. Unfortunately, I will be sitting out this season just to make sure I get the best recovery possible.
"The good news is that I will make a full recovery. The prognosis from my medical team is nothing short of 100 per cent positive. I am working very hard to make that a reality over the coming weeks. I am truly diving into this process, learning a huge amount along the way and I am thankful for the support I have received from all corners."
She added that the injury has allowed her to see just how much she embraces her sport.
"This setback has allowed me to re-evaluate my relationship with track and field. What I have found is that I have fallen in love with this sport to a level I never thought possible," said the elite hurdler who also thanked her coach, management team and sponsor, Puma, for their support during this difficult period in her life.
"I hope that this passion can inspire those of you out there who are lucky enough to have been following my life and career to climb your own mountains no matter how high and how steep. The peak will truly show you the limitlessness of your own possibility."
Anderson, Jamaica’s reigning national champion, set a new national record of 12.31 in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July, 2022. She ran a wind-aided 12.23 in the final to win the silver medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who ran 12.06 (w) in the final.
Amusan ran the world record 12.12 in the semi-final.
Anderson has been among Jamaica’s shining lights in recent years, setting world records at the junior level. She won silver at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland in 2018. She was expected to be among the contenders for medals at the World Championships in Budapest in August.
Mere days after she marked the anniversary of the knee injury she suffered in 2023 that caused her to miss the entire season, Anderson stormed to victory in 13.23. Showing good speed but lacking rhythm, Anderson managed to hold off the challenge of Elena Carraro, who was a close second in 13.30.
Giulia Piazzi was a distant third in a season’s best 14.13.
Anderson’s win in the 100m hurdles, was the first of two victories she had on the day. She would later be a member of her training group’s impressive 4x100m relay victory. Anderson, Amy Hunt, Mabounduo Kone and Daryll Neita streaked to victory in 43.21.
The Team Air quartet was so impressive their winning time was more than five seconds faster than the Cus Pro Patria Milano ‘B’ team that finished in second place in 47.65 and six second better than Cus Insubria Varese Como ‘A’ that was third in 48.66.
