Accident Leaves Chinese Gymnast Paralyzed

Chinese gymnast Sang Lan was paralyzed Tuesday after damaging her spine in warm-ups for the women’s vault in the Goodwill Games.

“At this time, she is paralyzed and cannot move her legs and she has a minimal amount of motion in her arms,” said Dr. Brock Schnebel, chief physician of the Goodwill Games.

Officials said Sang, 17, injured her neck while attempting a forward vault in warm-ups and lost control in midair, striking the ground head first. She was carried off the floor of Nassau Coliseum on a stretcher and taken to Nassau County Medical Center for a CAT scan.

Schnebel said Sang’s spine was injured when her chin was forced down and forward onto her chest. He said she had a “fractured-dislocation” of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae.

“This has resulted in an injury to her spinal cord,” Schnebel said.

Sang was conscious and awake after the accident.

“She has communicated through her interpreter but she is quite scared,” said Schnebel, an orthopedic surgeon.

He said it was too early to predict if Sang could recover from her injuries and be able to walk again.

“I’m very concerned about her ability to have neurological function in the future but it’s too early to say,” Schnebel said.

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In track and field competition, Maurice Greene shut up and shot down Donovan Bailey by winning the 100 meters, Michael Johnson proved he has plenty left, winning the 400, and Sergei Bubka’s pole-vaulting future is in doubt after no-heighting.

Greene, who has been bad-mouthed by Bailey since winning last year’s world championships, quieted the feisty Canadian by racing to victory in 9.96 seconds Tuesday night.

“It’s great to beat Bailey,” the jubilant Greene said. “I accelerated exceptionally well. That’s why I won.”

Bailey, coming off a series of injuries and illnesses, appeared to slow with 80 meters left and finished seventh at 10.30, far off his world record of 9.84.

The redoubtable Johnson, the 1996 Olympic 200 and 400 champion, erased any thoughts that his career might be on a downslide, racing to a stunning victory with a sizzling time of 43.76, a Goodwill Games record.

“I’m healthy now,” said Johnson, who has been besieged by hamstring and Achilles injuries. “I came here with the feeling I’d win despite the injuries.”

Tyree Washington, the runner-up in 44.43, said, “I tried to come up at the end, but Michael was very strong. Michael ran a great race.”

Butch Reynolds, the world record-holder in 43.29, finished a distant fifth in 45.10.

Bubka, the 34-year-old Ukrainian who has set the world pole vault record 35 times and is the only one to clear 20 feet, no-heighted for the second time in three meets. With the bar at 18 feet 8 1/4 inches, the 90-second time limit ran out before Bubka could make his final attempt.

Jeff Hartwig won the pole vault at 19-8 1/2, an American record by one-quarter inch and best in the world this year.

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The United States’ basketball advanced to the semifinals with a 106-75 victory over Brazil and will face Lithuania on Thursday.

Elton Brand of Duke led the U.S. with 17 points.