Philipp Boy and Yvette Moshage, fall of the Stuttgart World Cup, Germany
This year’s Stuttgart World Cup saw two major falls. As scary as it looked, Philipp Boy’s accident did not cause severe injuries. Yvette Moshage, however, was not as lucky.
Boy kick started the competition with his hit routine on the floor, comprising a 1 ½ to full twist front 1 ¾, 2 ½ to front tuck full, triple full to end. The act landed him in the second position at the end of the first rotation.
The European Championships gold medallist disappointed the home crowd with his next performance on the pommel horse. He fell off just a few swings before the dismount, landing on the floor hands-first.
Briefly recovering in still rings, vault and parallel bars, Boy was still unable to regain one of the top positions.
In the sixth rotation high bar, Boy re-entered the arena to the thunderous applause of the hopeful home crowd.
He started off with what seemed to be the perfect Cassina, but suddenly peeled off and landed on the mat in a painfully awkward position.
It was several minutes before the German trainers and coaches came out to help Boy up. It seemed that the fall had affected his back as he moved out his hand pressed against it.
The doctors checked him for major injuries. Tests and examinations showed Boy’s lumbar spine to be distorted. He was also heavily bruised.
He was grim-faced as he came back to watch the floor towards the competition’s end.
Although, Boy affirmed that his plans to attend the FIG World Cup Final in Tokyo later this month still stand, it is yet to be seen whether these plans will actually materialise.
After all, this same platform also saw the withdrawal of injured Aliya Mustafina after a failed comeback.
With the Tokyo World Cup scheduled for November 26-27, there is roughly a gap of only two weeks for Boy to get back on his feet.
Upon falling, Boy’s first fear was leg paralysis, and he instantly checked for feeling in his limbs. The fear stemmed from his recollection of former German team member Ronny Ziesmer’s crippling accident in July of 2004, where an injury to the head had rendered
the legs paralyzed.
The second major injury was suffered by Netherlands’ Yvette Moshage.
The athlete encountered a fall at the very end of the Stuttgart World Cups women’s team finals. The fourth rotation had the Netherlands’ team at the beam.
Moshage did a side somie, roundoff and double full dismount, having a stiff-kneed landing that was responsible for the injury.
Having suffered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) before, she was able to identify the pain correctly as she clutched her knee. Press reports affirm that German doctors too believed it was a torn ACL.
Gymnastics is infamous for its high statistics of injuries sustained during the sport and its training. Here is hoping complete and speedy recoveries for both, Boy and Moshage.
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