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Stacy Dragila had surgery on her achilles tendon a few days ago. She is out for the rest of the season, but her coach Dave Nielson tells me she is planning on being back for next year.

Thats a bummer she had to get the surgery done. But I hope that it works because that girl is fit, and still has alot of big jumps left in her.

From the articles I read I thought they couldn't find anything wrong with the achillies?

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 806242.htm

Dragila's season over

• Stacy Dragila, the 2000 Olympic pole vault champion, underwent foot surgery two weeks ago, effectively ending her season, her agent said.

Dragila, of Auburn, had been working to recover from an Achilles tendon injury at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista this spring in hopes of competing in the national championships. When the foot didn't improve, she had the operation.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/st ... 2868c.html

Dragila looks ahead to 2008
Stacy Dragila didn't jump in a pole vault competition this year. But after undergoing surgery nearly four weeks ago on her right Achilles' tendon, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist sounded hopeful she can bounce back to Beijing.
Dragila, 35, scheduled the surgery to clean out dead tissue. But a doctor found two tears, repaired them and told her what she wanted to hear.

"He said it should be better than new," said Dragila, a Placer High School graduate. "He gave me like a three-month recovery."

Dragila, who set the American outdoor record of 15-10 in 2004, said she hopes to compete during the 2007 indoor season, prepare for U.S. and world championships later next year, then focus on making the U.S. Olympic team again.

"I'll have two full years to get ready for the Games," said Dragila, who won the 2004 Olympic Trials here with a 15-7 clearance before failing to advance past the qualifying round in Athens.

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/sp_o ... 09,00.html

Dragila looks ahead to 2008:

Stacy Dragila didn't jump in a pole vault competition this year. But after undergoing surgery nearly four weeks ago on her right Achilles' tendon, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist sounded hopeful she can bounce back to Beijing.

Dragila, 35, scheduled the surgery to clean out dead tissue. But a doctor found two tears, repaired them and told her what she wanted to hear.

"He said it should be better than new," said Dragila, a Placer High School graduate. "He gave me like a three-month recovery."

Dragila, who set the American outdoor record of 15-10 in 2004, said she hopes to compete during the 2007 indoor season, prepare for U.S. and world championships later next year, then focus on making the U.S. Olympic team again.

"I'll have two full years to get ready for the Games," said Dragila, who won the 2004 Olympic Trials here with a 15-7 clearance before failing to advance past the qualifying round in Athens.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/st ... 4523c.html

Which brings us to Dragila, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist and American record holder (15-10). She didn't compete in the pole vault this year and is recovering from surgery nearly five weeks ago to repair two tears in her right Achilles' tendon.

At 35, the former goat roper from Placer High School needs to make a full recovery and avoid other injuries to make it to another Olympics. But don't count Dragila out; the best mark by an American this year is Jenn Stuczynski's 15-2.

"It sounds like I should be able to come back and have an indoor season (in 2007) and an opportunity to make the world team and build confidence to make the Olympic team," Dragila said.

Does anybody else find this strangely familiar?

Aging vaulter...
One of the best of all time...
Dry spell...
Right achilles tendon tear...
Surgery...
World championships the next year...

Can anyone say Bubka?

I just kind of found the story strangely parallel. I mean, there are some differences. Bubka's injury was more severe, and he was the world record holder at the time (and still is). Also, 1997 was a post-olympic WC instead of a pre-olympic WC. Still, there are definitely some similarities...