(China Sports)Olympic judo champion Tong expected to return in eight weeks.

TIANJIN, Nov 07, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Olympic judo champion Tong Wen is expected to return to action in about eight weeks, her coach and doctor said on Saturday.

Tong, 26, strained her waist last month when she was competing in the National Games in Shandong Province. She then had to pull out of the competition and was taken to the Taida Hospital at hometown Tianjin.

"Tong Wen is recovering quickly," said Wu Weifeng, Tong's coach. "Her conditions are much better than we had expected."

Many worried that Tong would have to retire from the sport, but after extensive medical examinations, doctors opted for a physical rehabilitation program over operation.

"Her muscle strength has recovered to Level Three, while Level Five is the normal one," said doctor Han Hui. "If everything goes well, Tong may return to training in about eight weeks."

Tong, a three-time world championship winner, won the gold medal in the women's +72kg division at the Beijing Olympics.

Copyright 2009 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

Source Citation
"(China Sports)Olympic judo champion Tong expected to return in eight weeks." Xinhua News Agency 7 Nov. 2009. InfoTrac Diversity Studies eCollection. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. .

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