ON THE SIDELINES : Gymnast Faces Further Surgery

Puerto Rican gymnast Adriana Duffy, who suffered a broken neck last week during preparations for the World Championships, remains paralyzed in the legs and will go to the United States for further treatment, officials said today.

Duffy, 18, fell on her neck after her hands slipped during a vault exercise late Thursday. She underwent a two-hour emergency operation.

“The situation is stable now, but of course it is still very bad,” said Puerto Rican trainer Ivan Rohena.

Officials at the world championships have said chances of paralysis are greater than chances that she will walk again. They said her parents will be able to take her back home by the end of the week, but no date of departure has been decided yet, according to Rohena.

She will be taken to the United States for further treatment at a later date, he said.

Delegations from the 47 other participating nations in the world championships and the organizing committee have set up a charity fund to help Duffy in her recovery.

Duffy was Puerto Rico’s best gymnast at the 1987 World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.