I'll be back with Produnova after Asian Games: Dipa

Forced to dump the dangerous Produnova routine following a career-threatening knee injury, ace Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar will once again switch to the vault of death' after the Asian Games.

Dipa had put Indian gymnastics on world map with her gravity-defying display in Produnova vault at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she finished a creditable fourth.

However, she couldn't compete in any tournament after the Rio high due to an Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee. She had to undergo surgery in April last year and missed the Asian Championship, World Championship in Canada last year and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Returning to action at the World Challenge Cup in Turkey on July 8, Dipa opted for Handspring 360 and Tsukuhara 720 en route to her gold medal winning feat. She had scripted history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to clinch a gold medal at a global event.

But Dipa said she will not give up Produnova.

"I will do it but it will take time. I have spent a lot of time in mastering this but after injury it was difficult. Difficulty level in Produnova has been reduced to 6.4 from 7, in fact average scores in difficulties are being reduced but I'll be back doing Produnova. I will not give it up," Dipa told PTI today.

Her mentor and coach Bisheshwar Nandi, who has guided her career since her first steps in gymnastics, said there is not much time to try it at the upcoming Asian Games but he is hopeful to switch back to Produnova by the year end.

"I will try for Produnova by the end of this year because sometimes she feels pain in her knee even now. It is a complicated sport and it is natural but she will overcome that," he said.

"According to the new code of points, the difficulty level of Produnova has been reduced to 6.4 from 7, but we will keep it as we have worked hard on this for the last few years."
"If we can go from 360 to 540 in Handspring and Tsukuhara 720, then it will be a big boost. And if we can bring her back to her level in Produnova, then we can challenge at the world level since qualifying for Olympics is the aim."
Talking about her performance at World Challenge Cup, Dipa said: "I scored 14.15 which is not a bad score, which can hopefully grant me a place in the final of Asian Games. Of course, increasing difficulty is important but I can't take too much risk with my leg, I will go by what my coach decides."