Liu was chosen to be the lead dancer in the " Silk Road " segment at the Beijing 2008 Olympics opening ceremony . Twelve days before the actual performance , on 27 July , she fell from a malfunctioning moving platform during an evening rehearsal at the Beijing National Stadium . She was rushed to a local military hospital to undergo six hours of surgery . Her accident resulted in nerve and spinal damage , paralyzing her lower body
Beijing 2008 Olympics opening ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
Liu Yan (dancer)