Gymnastics notebook: Laurie Hernandez refutes report of injury

Olympic Gymnastics Trials | Laurie Hernandez Performs On Balance Beam

So much for the gymnasts staying off social media.

In this case, it turned into a newsworthy event. OK, maybe slightly newsworthy during this quiet period before action really picks up at the Olympics.

International Gymnast Magazine, a respected industry publication, reported Friday that 16-year-old U.S. gymnast Laurie Hernandez hadsuffered a pulled hamstring, wondering if she would compete at all or be replaced by an alternate.

(An hourlater, it turned into a pulled stomach muscle, according to the magazine.)

Hernandez quickly hit back on social media, tweeting: This is false info! Our team is healthy and prepared to compete.

She was seconded by her personal coach, Maggie Haney, and later by USA Gymnastics, which tweeted, At this time, she is fine and training on all apparatus.

The magazine offered the scenario as a possible explanation as to why Hernandez may not compete on the uneven bars in the team qualification round, which would keep her out of contention for the later all-around event.

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The lineup for the U.S. men for the qualification round on Saturday was submitted. Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast and Chris Brooks will be competing in all six events, putting them in position to qualify for the all-around final.

Danell Leyva, a bronze medalist in 2012 in London in the all around, will be in three events in the qualification round. Leyva was named an alternate after trials but got on the team when John Orozco required knee surgery after tearing ligaments at training camp.

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USA Gymnastics issued another statement on behalf of its president, Steve Penny. He was not made available to take questions about the Indianapolis Stars report on Thursday, which contended that USA Gymnastics failed to notify authorities to many allegations of sexual abuse by coaches.

It is heartbreaking and unacceptable for a young person to have the intolerable burden that results from being a victim of sexual misconduct, Penny said in Fridays statement.We share the outrage that sexual assault victims and their families feel.

This is why USA Gymnastics has implemented Safe Sport training and created educational materials that encourage members to contact law enforcement first when reporting incidents of abuse.We will continue to work with the USOC and the National Center for Safe Sport, along with our clubs, parents, and athletes to protect every child.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-oly-rio-2016-gymnastics-notebook-laurie-hernandez-1470430985-htmlstory.html