Volleyball champion Tang Miao, tragically paralyzed in a June training session in Russia and initially believed to be left a quadriplegic, is off the critical list.

In further good news, specialists report that his paralysis may not be as severe as first thought as he has regained some movement in his fingers.

Tang, however, is still connected to a breathing machine, said the specialists from the intensive care unit of Shanghai's Changzheng Hospital.

They are unsure of the level of his recovery in the long term.

Because Tang, 25, is a towering 2.04 meters tall, the hospital has to order a specially designed rehabilitation bed for him to undergo the physical treatment necessary to prevent atrophy, or muscle wasting.

His wife, Zhou Suhong, captain of the Chinese women's national volleyball team, expressed confidence in Tang's recovery in her blog on Thursday and thanked the city government and the hospital.

Tang broke his neck after crashing into a barrier while training for a friendly match in St Petersburg with his Shanghai-based club team on June 15.

It was reported that he lost his balance while jumping and landed on his head on the floor, knocking him unconscious and causing serious spinal damage.

He was taken to a St Petersburg hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

He was flown back to Shanghai on June 19 by a team of four doctors and two nurses from Changzheng Hospital.

A Changzheng official said Tang suffered an infection in Russia and was running a temperature when he arrived back home.

Tang was named in the Chinese national team in 2002 and became a first-line player a year later.

He represented China in the 2004 Olympic qualification tournaments, the world championships and the World League.

He was also a key player for the Shanghai team which has been national champion for four consecutive years.

(Shanghai Daily July 7, 2007)