2014 Nanning World ChampionshipsSep 15, 2014 by Kati Breazeal
Marcel Nguyen Suffers A Bitter Blow
Marcel Nguyen Suffers A Bitter Blow
The German men’s national gymnastics team suffered a devastating blow on Saturday due to the injury of a competitor who was expected to be an integral contributor to their lineups at the 2014 World Championships. Marcel Nguyen was training his layout double-double dismount off the still rings, when he landed and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Nguyen is expected to undergo surgery as soon as possible, forcing him to relinquish his position in representing his country at the championships next month.
“This is a bitter blow for Marcel, because we saw him training really well both for himself and for the team for the world championships, “ DTB Sports Director Wolfgang William stated. “We hope this sends a shockwave through the team and the guys will rise to the challenge.”
The remaining German competitors include Andreas Bretschneider, Lukas Dauser, Fabian Hambüchen, Philipp Herder, and Andreas Toba. Former alternate, Helge Liebrich, will compete in Nguyen’s place.
Nguyen earned a sliver medal in the all-around and on parallel bars at the 2012 Olympic Games, proving to be a top competitor in international competition. The loss of his presence at the upcoming world championships will be a significant casualty to the German team, who will need to fight through this new adversity in order to contend for a championship title.