Injured Bisbikou Still Hopeful For Beijing

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Injured at the recent Greek Championships, Stefani Bisbikou told IG she is optimistic she will compete at her second Olympic Games, this summer in Beijing.

At the Greek Championships held March 1 in Thessaloniki, Bisbikou injured her knee on the landing of a new vault for her, a 1-1/2 twisting Yurchenko. Bisbikou still managed to win her third consecutive Greek national all-around title, since vault was her final event.

"The injury has caused the least damage one would expect," Bisbikou said Sunday. "There is a light problem in the inner meniscus, and the inner side-conjunction. It will take approximately 15-20 days of therapy. No operation is needed."

Based on Bisbikou's performance at last fall's World Championships in Stuttgart, she earned an individual berth for the Olympic Games that will take place in August in Beijing, China. Bisbikou placed 15th all-around at the 2004 Olympic Games, held in her hometown of Athens.

Bisbikou is currently undergoing physical therapy "to strengthen the muscles and take away the inflammation," she said.

As a result of her injury, Bisbikou will not participate in next month's European Championships in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Last year she tied for the bronze medal on balance beam at the European Championships in Amsterdam, becoming the first Greek senior female gymnast to win a medal in European Championships history.

Bisbikou said she is confident her knee will be healed in time for Beijing.

"I hope (the injury) won't affect my outlook a lot, since there is plenty of time, and I had stabilized my new exercises quite well," she told IG. "But, one way or another, I will have to try hard after going back to training."