Wang Yan, the teenage gymnast who suffered a horrific fall on Sunday, is reported to e in a stable condition and to be retrieving some measure of muscular reaction, the head of the China Gymnastics Administrative Center said yesterday in Shanghai.

"The latest messages from the hospital indicate that Wang Yan is stable and she is making progress with her injury," said Gao Jian, director of the center.

Wang, 15, fell into a coma at the national championships in Shanghai on Sunday after landing head-first on the mat in her dismount from the uneven bars. The accident fractured her second and third vertebrae and it is feared she may be paralyzed for life.

However, Gao told a press conference that her condition is better than first thought.

"Having seen her at the hospital, I think she may do a full recovery. Her right foot is still able to move. From yesterday, she also felt pain in her back which doctors said is a favorable sign."

Gao in fact sustained a similar injury himself, and he encouraged Wang to remain strong,

"I told her I had a similar injury in 1968. But after surgery and recovery efforts, I was finally able to stand up. I even carried on competing afterwards. The doctor let me know that Wang has calmed and is confident of overcoming this.”

Gao also promised to do everything in his power to ensure she gets the best possible treatment.

"Chief officials from Shanghai and Zhejiang province (Wang's local team) have asked different departments to offer help and ensure Wang regains her health Wang."

"The recovery process may take a long time. It took me half a year to be able to stand again, so we should be patient and give her a good environment."

However, Wang's injury is similar to that suffered nine years ago by female Chinese gymnast Sang Lan. After falling off the vault during warm-up for the New York Goodwill Games in 1998, she landed on her head and has been unable to walk since.

The stakes were high for Wang and her competitors at the national championships since it represented the first step on the road to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The gymnasts all showed off their newest and toughest routines in a frantic race to make the national team. Furthermore, the Federation of International Gymnastics set no limit on the difficulty of the programs, increasing the risk of injury.

"The rule to allow non-limited difficulty leads to an increasing number of injuries. Several nations such as Russia and the USA have taken a stand against this rule.”

It remains unknown how Wang will be financially supported during and after surgery despite reports from the Zhejiang Sports Bureau that Wang's school would foot the bill for her treatment.

(China Daily June 15, 2007)