30. Januar 2014  
Salt Lake City / USA  
Artistic Gymnastics

Brazilian Gymnast Lais Souza fighting for life after ski accident

Lais Souza (BRA)

The former Brazilian top artistic gymnast, two-times Olympian (2004, 2008) and world cup winner Lais SOUZA, who was due to compete in the freestyle skiing competition at the Sochi Olympics is fighting now for her life after hitting a tree during a recreational skiing session in Utah. Lais Souza (25), is unable to move her arms or legs and can't breathe on her own following the accident which occurred on Monday.
The young Brazilian has been skiing for about six months. Before she participated as gymnast in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in Athens and Beijing.

A picture from Lais Souza's lucky days: 2005 as world cup winner in Cottbus (GER), in front of Russia's Anna Pavlova (left) and the Chines Wang.

Brazilians Daiane dos Santos and Lais Souza in Cottbus, 2006

Souza is relying on a breathing machine, and it's possible she may have to for the rest of her life Brazilian team doctor Antonio Marttos confirmed the news of her injuries at a news conference in Salt Lake City. "Right now, her spirits are very good," Marttos said. "She is a fighter. Athletes always do better, to improve."
Doctors haven't declared Souza paralysed, but admit there's a possibility of permanent damage. "She dislocated a vertebrae near the top of her spine," said Dr. Andrew Dailey, a neurosurgeon with University of Utah Health Care. Dailey said, Souza has no feeling in her arms or legs but claimed it's still too soon to know whether she'll regain feeling.
Dr Holly Ledyard, a member of the University of Utah hospital's neuro critical care unit who is overseeing Souza's treatment, said her relative skiing inexperience didn't play a role in the accident, but said the long-term future could be bleak. "Souza is relying on a breathing machine, and it's possible she may have to for the rest of her life," Ledyard said.
"She remains in critical condition, still using a breathing machine and unable to talk".

The young Brazilian has been skiing for about six months. Before she participated as gymnast in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in Athens and Beijing.
2005 in Germany, in her lucky days, she was world cup winner on vault at the "Tornament of Masters" in Cottbus and the DTB Cup in Stuttgart.
At the Pan American Games the young Lais won the all-around bronze medal, beating th US-super star Alicia Sacromone ...

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