She will be kept off the mats until summer.
“I had been suffering from small subluxations since December”, explained Gabriella Willems on Monday. “I felt like my shoulder was popping out and then recovering on its own. It wasn’t particularly painful and that didn’t stop me from continuing. I did a lot of strengthening and it wasn’t a huge concern. During the warm-up in Tel Aviv, she went out several times. It was weird, a week later I could push an 80kg barbell without pain. But I went hiking with kids and my shoulder came out again. An MRI in Naples (where she lives, editor’s note) then an arthroscan in Belgium showed that the bead was torn and the glenoid fractured. I had surgery ten days ago at AZ Monica in Antwerp. »
Gabriella Willems will miss the Antalya Grand Slam (March 31-April 2), the Worlds, as well as the Team Euros on July 1 in Krynica-Zdrój, Poland.
“I hope to be recovered for the Masters in Hungary at the beginning of August. I could have possibly pulled the rope and gone to the Worlds, but I would not have been in the best of moods. It was to take the risk that the shoulder dislocates completely, with tearing of the ligaments. Which would have been much worse. It’s very frustrating, because I felt good in my judo and I remained on a disappointment last year with a defeat in my second fight. There are still important competitions, with the Masters and the Euro in November in Montpellier. I will do everything to come back stronger. »
