Former world all-around champion Vanessa Ferrari (Italy) is healing after successful surgery on her ankle, but may miss October's world championships. Ferrari, with her parents and coach Enrico Casella, recovers in the hospital following surgery on her ankle June 11.

Former world all-around champion Vanessa Ferrari (Italy) is healing after successful surgery on her ankle, but may miss October's world championships in London.

Ferrari underwent a bursectomy June 11 to remove excess fluid from behind her Achilles' tendon. The surgeons also performed a resection on a bone that was pressing against the tendon.

Following the 30-minute surgery, the 18-year-old Ferrari was happy and smiling, the Italian Gymnastics Federation reported. Ferrari will be in a cast for three weeks and then on crutches for an additional two or three weeks, the federation said.

After winning the all-around titles at the 2006 Worlds and 2007 European Championships, Ferrari has been plagued by the inflamed right tendon. She finished 11th all-around at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where she did not qualify to any event finals.

Italian gymnastics leaders are hoping Ferrari will recover well enough to compete at least one event at the 2009 World Championships, Oct. 12-18 in London, and are expecting a full long-term recovery.

"We are convinced she will prove to be stronger than beforehand," Italian Gymnastics Federation President Riccardo Agabio said.

Struggling with the injury, Ferrari was a last-minute entrant to 2009 European Championships, held in April in Milan. A fall on vault dropped her to ninth all-around, but she won the silver in the floor exercise final.

On May 29, Ferrari won the all-around title at the Italian national championships in Meda, declaring, "I dedicate this victory to my tendon."

External Link: Italian Gymnastics Federation

International Gymnast Magazine Related Features
"Refueling Ferrari" - Ferrari/Casella interview (January/February 2009)
2007 World Championships special issue (October 2007)
"Success Comes in Twos" - Giovannini profile (July/August 2007)
Ferrari on cover, 2007 European Championships coverage, "10 Questions with Enrico Casella" (June 2007)
2006 World Championships special issue (December 2006)
Ferrari on cover photo collage (November 2006)
Ferrari on cover, 2006 Worlds preview (September 2006)
Italian team on cover, 2006 Europeans coverage (June 2006)
"Driving Force" - Ferrari profile (December 2005)

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