Gymnast Suffers Broken Neck in Practice

Adriana Duffy of Puerto Rico suffered a broken neck in a fall from a vaulting horse while practicing for the World Gymnastics Championships starting today in Stuttgart, West Germany.

Dr. Klaus Steinbrueck, a member of the international federation’s medical team, said after Duffy underwent nearly two hours of surgery that it was too early to determine if the 18-year-old gymnast would suffer permanent damage or paralysis.

World champion gymnast Elena Muchina of the Soviet Union suffered a similar accident in 1979 and has since been confined to a wheelchair.

The Soviets are regarded as the favorites in the competition, even though one of their Olympic champions, Elena Shoushounova, has retired and a world champion, Dimitri Bilozerchev, was kicked off the team for recurring problems with alcohol.

The U.S. men are led by Tim Ryan, 18, who says competition makes him too nervous.