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Yang ruptured his right Achilles in March during practice but
was included in a preliminary list for the Rio Olympics
announced on Sunday by the Korea Gymnastic Association (KGA).
The 23-year-old, who became South Korea's first gold medal
winner in gymnastics at the 2012 London Games, would be the
country's best hope of a medal in Rio if he was fit, KGA
official Han Chung-sik told Reuters on Monday.
"Under normal circumstances, Yang Hak-seon would be our
strongest athlete at the Olympics," Han said by telephone,
adding that he had until the final trials in July to prove his
fitness.
"We have a regulation that allows us to recommend athletes with
a high possibility of winning a medal in various competitions so
we’ve put him in according to the regulation.”
The KGA said that if Yang made the team they would try to send
another gymnast as cover in case the injury flared up.
Yang Bu-kwon, the head of the gymnast's management agency, told
Reuters that since undergoing surgery in late March, Yang has
shown an unexpectedly quick recovery.
"Even the doctor is very positive and Hak-seon is showing a very
strong will to make this possible," he said.
"He's been training for this moment for four years and his
condition before the unfortunate injury is better than it was in
2012.
"He still needs to be very careful so he will continue his rehab
and remain positive about competing."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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