Vanessa Ferrari is still a question mark for this weekend's European Championships.
Italy’s Gazzetta della Sport reports that although Ferrari is in Milan with the national team, it’s still questionable whether she’ll compete. Ferrari is being observed by Fulvio Vailati, the Italian technical director, to see whether she’s made sufficient progress to be able to compete.
The newspaper guesses that if Ferrari does replace anyone slated to compete, it will be newcomer Emily Army, who made the team alongside Paola Galante, Lia Parolari and Serena Licchetta.
It’s uncertain whether 2004 Olympic high bar champion Igor Cassina will compete, either. Enrico Pozzo is scheduled to do all-around, while Andrea Coppolino and Matteo Morandi will be rings specialists and Matteo Angioletti will seek a medal on vault, the newspaper reported. Alberto Busnari appears to be Italy’s best shot for a medal on pommels.
International Gymnast Online reported last week that although Ferrari isn’t in the submitted lineup, she shouldn’t be counted out, either.
Although 2006 world all-around champion Vanessa Ferrari is not on the roster for the upcoming European Championships in Milan, coach Enrico Casella told IG on Saturday that she may well compete there.
“Vanessa is [doing] very well in her recovery process and is not yet decided if she will compete or not in Milan,” said Casella, who trains Ferrari in nearby Brixia. “We’ll make a decision at the last minute, and it may be possible to make a big surprise to everyone.”
Roster of athletes expected to compete is here.
Ten years ago I would have thought that given Ferrari’s dismal performance in Beijing that her career was cooked, but this is the era of gymnasts being competitive well into their 20s. She could well come back and be competitive — or she could be hammered for form by the code of points.
March 27, 2009 at 8:44 pm |
Vanessa will partecipate at the Europeans Championships!!!
The team is:
Vanessa Ferrari
Paola Galante
Emily Armi
Lia Parolari