Livia Lanzoni, member of the Brazilian national fencing team, on Tuesday underwent a surgery on her left knee and will not participate in the XV Pan American Games, which will take place here during the July 13-29 period.

"It was the worst news in my entire life," Lanzoni told local press, who suffered an accident on Sunday.

She was on the passenger's seat of her boyfriend's motorcycle when it collided with a car on an avenue in Sao Paulo. As the athlete fell, she hit her left knee on the floor. She was immediately taken to hospital, and tests showed a fracture in her left patella.

Lanzoni will not be able to walk for a month and will only be allowed to resume practicing with the saber in two months' time, following physiotherapy sessions.

The 22-year-old believes she will recover soon, and expects to have another chance to take part in the tournament in 2011, when Mexico will host the 16th edition of the Pan Am Games.

She and Deise Falci Castro were the only two female fencers who fulfilled all the criteria required to classify for Brazil's national team roster.

The Brazilian Fencing Confederation has not defined yet whether it will draft another athlete for the team or not.

Brazil has not won a Pan Am medal in fencing since 1975, when the men's team got the bronze in the sword-fighting competition. (Xinhua)