Dipa has no choice but to excel in Produnova: Coach

LUCKNOW: Injury setbacks will not come in the way of ace Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar’s quest for excellence in the Produnova vault, also called the ‘vault of death’ for its level of difficulty.

Despite a none-too-impressive show at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, the “only way” for Dipa to make it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is through the Produnova vault. The top three men’s and women’s teams at the World Championships this year will qualify for the Olympics.

Dipa’s coach Bisheshwar Nandi, though, is wary of her frequent injuries. Following the 2016 Rio Olympic Games high, where Dipa finished fourth, she suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee and had to undergo surgery, forcing her to miss the Asian Championship, the World Championships in Canada and the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast. On her return, in July this year, Dipa chose the Handspring 360 and Tsukahara 720 vaults en route her gold-winning feat at the World Challenge Cup in Turkey.

But to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, Dipa has no choice but to excel in Produnova. “There is no other way… Produnova vault is the only thing by which she can make it to the 2020 Olympics. It’s risky and dangerous, but we both wish to switch to this (Produnova) again,” Nandi said.

“We have spent a lot of time mastering this but after the injury it was difficult. The difficulty level in Produnova has been reduced from 7 to 6.4, and I feel Dipa has a good chance.”