Injury, schminjury?
Alicia Sacramone isn't even out of her walking cast yet after tearing her Achilles tendon, but she's already planning to be doing her routines again by February, according to an article published in this morning's Boston Globe.
If she accomplishes that, it will be one of the faster Achilles tear comebacks in gymnastics history. Coming back so soon isn't unheard of (here's a Gymnastike video featuring Minnesota's Justine Cherwink, who recovered from her Achilles tear in just four months -- in time to do vault at the 2011 Big 10 Championships).
Sacramone, who is still in a walking boot, can also take hope from Courtney Kupets's 2003 Achilles tear at the World Championships in Anaheim, which she recovered from in time to tie for the 2004 U.S. Championship.
But Whether Sacramone will continue to do floor, however, remains a question mark.
The U.S. likely doesn't need her floor routine, even on an Olympic team, but the ability to do the routine should she be needed is likely to be valuable to Martha Karolyi and the selection committee that will choose the London team. The same was true when it came to picking Annia Hatch for the 2004 team, 10 months after Hatch had surgery for a torn ACL.
Interesting for speculators about who will be on the team was Karolyi's statement to the Globe that Sacramone would "not need to learn new skills" to be prepared for the Olympics.
In podium training at the Tokyo World Championships last month, Sacramone seemed at the apex of her career, and seemed likely to have performed very well. If she can regain that form in time, she will certainly have a good shot at making the Olympic team.
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