China's gymnast Yao Jinnan performs on the uneven bars during the women's team final of the artistic gymnastics event of the London Olympic Games on July 31, 2012 at the 02 North Greenwich Arena in London.
Yao won the bronze medal in the all-around at last year’s worlds, but a knee injury sidelined her from the Chinese nationals this May. She did not look fully fit during qualifications at the London Olympics and her coaches revealed that she’s coping with an injury to her left thigh muscle with acupuncture. She downgraded her difficulty during practice sessions, and her coaches reportedly spent those sessions spotting her quite heavily. A pre-Olympic favorite in the all-around, beam, and floor, she failed to qualify in any of those events. She will, however, compete in the finals of uneven bar—an event less reliant on the thighs.