By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

May 25 - Daniel Keatings (pictured), Britain’s first-ever male European gymnastics gold medallist, has suffered a major knee injury which will keep him out of the World Championships in Rotterdam later this year.



The 20-year-old from Corby suffered a cruciate anterior injury during a routine training session last month, a few days after winning the pommel horse title in Birmingham, he has revealed in a blog he has written exclusively for insidethegames.

Keatings wrote: "I landed awkwardly during a normal routine that saw me hyper extend my legs.

"As a precaution I went to the local hospital that took x-rays and discharged me with a referral to my physiotherapist, the GB medical team then sent me for an MRI scan.

"Unfortunately the MRI scan showed a tear to my anterior cruciate ligament which meant I would need an operation to reconstruct the ligament."

Keatings, who also won a silver medal in the team event in Birmingham and was second in the all-round competition in the World Championships at the O2 in London last October, was taken to Lister Hospital where he was operated on.

But Keatings, who is sponsored by Opus Energy, has been assured that he will be back in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

Keatings wrote on insidethegames: "The good news is, he said the operation was a great success and after rehabilitation I would be back fitter and stronger than before.

"The down side; rehabilitation is six to nine months and I have been told I will be unable to compete until this time, which unfortunately means I will miss this year’s World Championships."

The World Championships are due to take place between October 16 and 24.

Keatings' coach Paul Hall said: "The surgeons said it was very straightforward and should allow him a full recovery.

"He is very keen to return and has his sights firmly set on London 2012."

To read Keatings' blog click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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