On July 21, 2022, weightlifter Kate Vibert announced that she had torn a meniscus during a training session in an Instagram post. Meniscuses are pieces of cartilage in people’s knees that function as shock absorbers between the shin and thighbone and help stabilize knees. The athlete didn’t disclose how her injury happened, which meniscus she tore, or what lift she performed. She only said that she knew something was mistaken immediately after a rep.
That feel when you have got to inform your coach you’re 99 percent sure you simply tore your meniscus. (Spoiler alert: I used to be correct.)
Because of this of her injury, Vibert says she’s going to forgo competing within the 2022 Pan-American Championships, which can happen on July 24-July 29 in Bogotá, Colombia.
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Vibert is one among Team USA weightlifting’s biggest stars. With a silver medal on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games and a few American Records on the snatch (112 kilograms/246.9 kilos) and total (248 kilograms/546.7 kilos) within the 71-kilogram division — Vibert often submits a stellar performance of strength for the Americans. Unfortunately, she’ll have to take a seat on the sideline for a while as she recovers from her knee injury.
Expected Recovery
Within the caption of her Instagram post, Vibert didn’t seem too concerned about any lasting, negative effects of her meniscus injury. After a pending surgery, she appears able to move forward as fast as possible.
“Awaiting a partial meniscectomy surgery sometime in the following week or two, I got a couple of 50 percent removal from the looks of it,” Vibert wrote. “Obviously, I’ll have to take a seat out from PanAms, but all things considered, I’m confident I’ll be back to lifting in the following month or two. It was a scary few days navigating options, but I’m completely satisfied with my decision and excited to get back within the gym and get better as soon as possible.”
Based on a December 2016 study, Vibert’s total recovery from her meniscus tear could vary in time. In said study, the mean recovery period for the roughly 500 meniscus patients was around five weeks. Complete healing with no underlying issues often took about three months. (1)
Unless otherwise noted, these patients weren’t world-class weightlifters like Vibert. The severity and degrees of tears also play an element. That doesn’t necessarily mean Vibert will get better faster from her reported 50 percent meniscus tear, but it surely might offer a leg up given her established high-level conditioning.
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Vibert’s Future
Depending on how her recovery from her meniscus tear and surgery goes, Vibert’s absence from the competitive weightlifting scene won’t last long. A contest that would line up with Vibert’s timeline is the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships.
The precise date for that competition isn’t confirmed but will occur this fall in Bogotá, Colombia. On the time of this writing, the IWF calendar has the World Championships slated for December 1-17, 2022. Notably, Vibert hasn’t participated on this contest since a gold medal end in the 71-kilogram division through the 2019 edition.
Vibert might also elect to deal with her recovery entirely while retaining features like her leg and shoulder strength. The athlete has centered her long-term ambitions on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Those are still roughly two years away, but qualifications will begin to ramp up soon. Notably, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) electing not to incorporate Vibert’s recent 76-kilogram weight class at these Olympics, she has said over social media that she’d compete at her past division of 71 kilograms.
There’s an extended road ahead for one among the US’ top weightlifters. Given Vibert’s track record, she’s likely preparing for the long haul.
References
- Pihl, K. et al. (2016). Over-optimistic patient expectations of recovery and leisure activities after arthroscopic meniscus surgery. Acta Orthopaedica. 2016 Dec 87 (6): 615-621.
Featured image: @katevibert on Instagram