Danusia Francis

A knee injury wasn't going to stop Danusia Francis from fulfilling her dream of becoming an Olympian. During Sunday's qualifying round, the 27-year-old gymnast representing Jamaica went through with competing on the uneven bars despite suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Her 11-second performance, which she did entirely...

(CBSLA) — UCLA Gymnastics alumna and Team Jamaica competitor Danusia Francis injured her left knee before the Tokyo Olympics, but that didn’t stop her from competing. Jamaican gymnast and @uclagymnastics alum Danusia Francis injured her knee before the #TokyoOlympics. If you thought that was going to stop her from competing, think again. Danusia can always call herself an Olympian. #OlympicHERstory pic.twitter.com/OqoXm5TItc — #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021 Francis had to withdraw from some of the routines but still performed on the uneven bars. In total, the British-born Jamaican gymnast competed for 11 seconds, fulfilling a life-long dream of being an Olympian. “I am officially an Olympian. I have waited a long time to be able to say that,” Francis shared on her Instagram Sunday. “The competition might not have been exactly how I imagined it. But the spirit of the Olympic Games was everything I could have hoped for. I have torn my ACL and will need surgery to repair it. Although I am devastated about this injury, I am glad I was still able to go out there, represent Jamaica, and fulfill my dream.” Francis’ appearance in the Olympics marked the second time Jamaica has been represented in gymnastics.

Gymnast Danusia Francis and swimmer Alia Atkinson were among the first Jamaicans to compete at the Tokyo Olympics which is now underway. Francis, who sustained a serious knee injury on Saturday, did a shortened version of her routine and saluted the judges on Sunday. Francis said even though she could not compete the way she wanted to, she was happy to achieve her goal of being an Olympian, after missing the last two Olympics.

Danusia Francis' smile said it all. The gymnast's Tokyo Olympics was over; it had lasted less than 10 seconds and she was to finish last in the qualifying round. Each second, however, had been more heroic than the last. The British-born Jamaican athlete and UCLA graduate braved the uneven bars...

British-Jamaican gymnast Danusia Francis says the full body suits worn by German athletes could "open the door" for more women in the sport. Sarah Voss was the first competitor to wear the suit at the European Gymnastics Championships last week - and was followed by two team-mates. Francis, 26, told...