Netherlands’ hope, Celine Van Gerner: Slowly recovering, not appearing for the Olympic Test Event, London
The Dutch were visibly perturbed when their hope for the London 2012 Olympic Games, gymnast Celine Van Gerner, landed herself a foot injury.
The Dutch athlete competed in the World Championships this year with the injured foot and went in for surgery on November 8.
Van Gerner fractured the tarsal bone of her foot in October, and at the time, predictions of doom graced the Dutch newspapers with supporters dismally noting that the athlete will not be able to make it to the London test event.
The injury was operated on in Amsterdam. It took two whole hours, but once it was done the gymnast came out all set to embark on the road to ‘good as brand new’.
“It took two hours, but it finished well,” said a relieved Van Gerner. “Two steel pins keep the bone together now.”
Post-surgically, the foot is wrapped up in a cast for a period of six weeks. Once the cast is off, the doctors have allowed Van Gerner to gradually pick up her pace to proper training. However, complete recovery has been predicted to take at least 12 weeks
in all.
Despite a crippled left foot, Van Gerner placed 17th in the all-round during the World Championships and was the only Dutch female gymnast to make it to the all-round final in the said event.
She was unaware of the injury as she competed in the World championships. The fracture was discovered only after the event when she went for a scan of the foot to address the shooting pain she was experiencing.
Now on the road to recovery, Van Gerner says her foot is troubling her less, however, she does have other ailments begotten by the exhaustion which are a source of worry.
“I am still very tired. Headaches are troubling me more than my foot right now,” she said.
Predictions are coming true as the athlete herself said she does not see herself taking part in the Olympic test event that is scheduled to take place in London, coming January. Nonetheless, she wishes her team all the best.
The Dutch team was not able to secure a place in the London 2012 Olympic Games during the World Championships in Tokyo since it did not make it in the top-eight.
However, as the 13th team in the tournament rankings, the team gets another shot to earn itself an Olympic berth in the test event.
In case the team fails to achieve its goal of qualifying, the Netherlands will get an individual spot in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The talented Van Gerner has her sight set on the coveted individual ticket to the Olympics.
“Of course I hope to get that ticket, so it is up to me to do well at the European Championships (in April) for example, or at World Cup competitions next spring,” she said.
So there is hope yet for Van Gerner and her avid supporters, she just might show face at London, and if not, she will always have the pre-Olympic tournaments to let the crowds cheer her on. Either way, she is wished a timely and a complete recovery.
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