Xiaopeng Li Strains His Back in Training (17th November, 2005)

China’s reigning World Champion on vault, Xiaopeng Li strained his back during training as he worked on perfecting his vaults.

Li put all his efforts into training parallel bars and vault during the session but avoided landing hard on his feet due to sustained injuries on his ankles. ‘Xiaopeng is not yet fully familiar with the new turning in the beginning of the routine. We’ve only worked on it in the past two months,’ said coach Xiong Chen.

During his vault training, Li landed in a forward roll. ‘He is being really careful about his feet. He is carrying old injuries and does not want to land on his feet too much,’ Chen said.

After several intense runs on the vault, Li strained his back during a mount. Asked whether Li was looking to retire soon,’ Chen exclaimed ‘I hope he can make it to the 2008 Games in Beijing.’

Look for complete coverage of the 2005 World Championships in issue one of Backflip Gymnastics Magazine. Subscribe today!