Update (Dec 11, 10:30 CET): Maria Zasypkina, the Russian gymnast who suffered a fractured vertebra while training vault shortly after returning from the Ghent World Championships, is able to walk again. A reporter from Russian daily newspaper "Sovietski Sport" visited Zasypkina on December 9, the gymnast's 16th birthday. "The doctor who is treating me said I would be able to celebrate the New Year at home, with my family." Reportedly cheerful and optimistic, Zasypkina received a birthday visit from her parents, grandmother and sister Anya as well as Russian head coach Leonid Arkayev. "He was the first to congratulate me, it wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning when he came on his way from the airport, where he had just landed after returning from Leninsk-Kuznetsk from the "Siberian Cup". The girls from our junior national team also came," Zasypkina said.

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Update (Nov 20, 12:44 CET): Maria Zasypkina's father told Russian newspaper "Sovietski Sport" that Maria's cat Muska started crying the morning the accident happened. "I have never seen tears come out of the eyes of a cat before," said Yuri Zasypkin. The same day, the sad news was brought to the parents by the director of the Tula sports school, Valdimir Pavelkin. Yuri Zasypkin lauded his daughter's braveness in facing her plight, saying that she had smiled at them and even waved her hand a little the family was allowed to see her the first time: "She even joked: "I'm like Brezhnev now!" According to Yuri Zasypkin, Maria asked for something to read on Saturday but was not interested in the love stories her sister Anya brought her."Sovietski Sport" has asked its readers to send messages of support and encouragement for Maria to their offices. They will be passed on to Maria directly. You cand send her a fax or an email message. For sending faxes please use the number below, for email messages use our mail-link at the bottom of this page.

Update (Nov 14, 22:48 CET): According to Sport Express, Maria Zasypkina's recovery is going well. The gymnast can move her arms and speak. Her temperature is normal, but only her closest relatives and her coach are allowed to see her for the time being. Zasypkina is being treated by doctor Nikolai Styablin. Stepan Vetrile, who performed the last surgery on Maria, is currently on a business trip.

Update (Nov 12, 12:00 CET): Maria Zasypkina, who seriously injured her neck in a training accident on vault last Friday, has been operated on by Moscow neuro-surgeon Stepan Vetrile, Russian newspaper "Sport Express" reports today. The operation, which lasted 3 1/2 hours, went through without any complications and gives hope that Zasypkina will make a complete recovery, according to the doctors. The damaged vertebra was steadied with plantinum plates. Zasypkina regained consciousness after the operation. A first operation to stabilise the dislocated vertebra had been performed soon after Zasypkina had been admitted to hospital.

Original article: Sad news from Russia: One of the team's up and coming members, 16-year-old Maria Zasypkina from Tula, has been seriously injured while training on vault at the national training centre Round Lake near Moscow. Well known gymfan and OEG webmaster Edwin Koppers was the first to report the tragic incident and today's issue of Sport Express gives more details, which are quoted by IG Online, which in turn is quoted by Gymmedia.

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