There's been a lot of talk and media coverage today of Jordyn Wieber's injury during the Games. Here's what John Geddert, Wieber's coach, said about it to me in the mixed zone immediately after the women's team finals:
How is she feeling, injury-wise?
"She's had a bruised heel for about a month and a half, so she's been altering her landings a little bit, and now it's probably manifested itself into a stress fracture, but we'll see."
What are your goals for her for floor finals?
"We're going to see how her leg feels. If she does a routine like she did today she should be a in the medal hunt."
Is there a possibility she might withdraw?
"Let's see how the leg is. She won't, though. It would take wild horses to keep her from competing, so I don't think that's going to happen. But I want to see how that leg is."
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Wieber had a great competition in team finals and contributed three solid scores to the US' gold medal effort. She did compete in floor finals and ended up seventh, with a 14.500, after an out-of-bounds deduction and an awkward landing on her double twisting-double back mount.
Hopefully she'll be able to rest and heal now that the competition is over -- and, as I said yesterday, I hope she uses the disappointments from this Olympics as fuel to continue in the sport. I'd love to see her continue into the next quad.
Comments
She’ll be back! I hope so. Wieber fr 2016!
While I do hope she decides to continue, she will need to increase her difficulty. As I type this statement, I’m finding it a little ridiculous. She already has some of the most difficult skills in the world in her routine and yet she is a full point behind Komova. Given the current code, there really isn’t much room given her current skill set unless she starts adding the random leaps and bonus jumps. I’m not quire sure if her body can take that additional pounding.
Is that the reason why she didn’t compete on beam? I mean, that routine is full of difficulty!
Wow, she really did great in that case, it’s amazing!
And she really has less difficulty then Komova, that just shows that she has the better execution!
Excellent post, Amy.
I wasn’t aware that her injury was THAT serious at this point.
Boy, I sure hope she doesn’t retire (although the Russians, Romanians and Chinese gymnasts would likely prefer it if she did.
)!!
Jordyn would be missed!!