Olympian Jessica Gadirova’s pleasure at returing to competitors this weekend is tinged with unhappiness as she is aware of her twin sister is about to start out the identical gruelling rehabilitation she has simply completed.
Jennifer could have surgical procedure to restore anterior cruciate ligament harm on Wednesday, simply days after Jessica makes her comeback from the identical harm on the British Championships in Liverpool.
“To know that she goes by means of what I’ve for the final 12 months and a half, takes a toll and hurts my coronary heart,” Jessica instructed BBC Sport.
“I really feel like I am competing for her as nicely. I’m giving her the chance to see which you could come again from any harm, irrespective of how lengthy the method is.”
European all-around champion Jessica, who suffered her ACL injury in “a freak accident” on the 2023 World Inventive Gymnastics Championships, has endured “a really lengthy course of” to re-build her power and health over time as “there is no such thing as a fast repair”.
“I’m a little bit bit nervous to compete as a result of it has been a short while since I have been in an enviornment, however competing is what I really like to take action it provides me pleasure on the identical time.
“We took it good and sluggish to ensure it was completed proper. It was troublesome within the moments when one thing that was once really easy was changing into actually laborious. For instance, simply lifting my heel off the ground.
“That was such a fantastic problem. However as time went on, I fought by means of that feeling of giving up or not doing the small particulars within the rehab, and it received simpler.”
Jessica will nonetheless solely be competing on bars and beam with primary dismounts as she works in the direction of returning to all 4 equipment by the tip of the 12 months.
She now hopes to have the ability to repay her sister for the help and assist she acquired when the roles are reversed following Jennifer’s surgical procedure.
“I believe future was like ‘no you might be staying as twins it doesn’t matter what’,” Jessica joked concerning the mirroring of their accidents.
“I felt like I used to be stepping into to it a little bit bit blind and so did my crew, however Jen completely is aware of what the journey appears to be like like now and might see which you could come again and be stronger.”
Jennifer stated: “Not many individuals can say they’ve had this harm, so it is a distinctive story that we have now each completed it.
“We each wish to be there in LA for the 2028 Olympics and be as match and powerful as we bodily will be.
“We wish to do as many competitions as we will on this cycle to construct our expertise and to get us again on the market as twins on the massive stage.”
