Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova on their recovery: “We’re looking at more Olympics ahead”
Plus, Italy's Vanessa Ferrari says Paris will be her swansong and a look back at Team Brazil on the floor from London 2012.
Artistic Gymnastics
Tokyo 2020 Olympic artistic gymnastics team bronze medallists – and twin sisters – Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova were sidelined in 2023 as the duo dealt with major injuries.
Jessica Gadirova, the 2022 World floor exercise champion, tore her ACL at the the World Championships in Antwerp, Beligum, while an ankle injury resulted in a surgery for Jennifer Gadirova.
As both forge on with their respective recoveries, Jessica Gadirova says their focus is long-term.
“We aren’t looking at this Olympics, we’re looking at more Olympics ahead. We’re still young, we’ll recover,” she said, according to SunSports. “We have been supporting each other massively through the highs and the lows, especially as we’re at a low point at the moment.”
Her sister Jennifer said: “I’m slowly building back. But I haven’t officially been signed off yet,” before later adding: “Yes, we’d love to go to the Olympics. We’ve already done one Olympics before so deep down, we don’t feel like we’re 100% missing out.”
The sisters missed the recent British championships and while neither has fully ruled out Paris 2024, the final designated selection event listed in the British Gymnastics Olympic procedures are the 2024 European Championships in Rimini, Italy, 2-5 May.
The full squad is expected to be decided in late May and early June.
Born on 3 October 2004, the Gadirovas will be just 23 when the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games roll around and, this tough period has motivated them to press on.
“It’s only a little bump in the road. It’s difficult but it also gives us the fire in our bellies,” Jessica Gadirova said, while sister Jennifer adds, “We’re already Olympians. We’re already Olympic bronze medallists. That’s a great achievement already. Missing this one, yes it’s really gutting, but we’re still young and have a bright future ahead of us.”
Italy's Vanessa Ferrari: "I will end my career with Paris"
Four-time Olympian Vanessa Ferrari of Italy says this Olympic cycle will be her final.
"With or without my fifth Olympics, I will end my career with Paris," she told Olympics.com earlier this week.
The 33-year-old has represented her nation at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. She claimed her first Olympic medal, silver on the floor exercise, at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Ferrari's career has been historic: she became the first Italian woman to claim the World all-around title in 2006.
But, it's also been held back by injuries, including an Achilles tendon tear during the floor exercise final at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal.
"A career made of ups and downs, victories and disappointments, injuries, having to start from scratch and often coming back stronger than before," Ferrari reflected on her decades long time in the sport. "Gymnastics demands everything and immediately from a very young age, it's a very demanding sport, which hasn't allowed me to always be stable, but my character has allowed me to have such a long career."
The Italian women's gymnastics team will be named later this summer. Ferrari has not competed since Tokyo 2020.
From the vault…
This week, we take one final look at Team Brazil during qualifying at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The squad posted a 39.996 for this rotation on the balance beam, led by Daniele Hypolito’s 14.166. Brazil finished 12th overall in the team standings.