NEW YORK - Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who was paralyzed in an accident at the 1998 Goodwill Games, said she was not going to drop more charges in her fight to protect her legal rights.

Disabled gymnast Sang Lan comforts a young boy from quake-hit Sichuan province during a charity event in Beijing on May 12. [Yang Tianxiao/for China Daily]

Sang, wearing a luminous yellow Olympic team shirt, made the statement in a press conference in the Hai Ming Law Firm in New York Tuesday afternoon. Rumor had circulated that Sang might drop all the charges after her lawyer Hai Ming has withdrawn several in the past weeks.

In late April, Sang's lawyer Hai Ming filed lawsuits at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against three individuals and five institutions, seeking a total of $1.8 billion in compensation. The defendants include media mogul Ted Turner, who created the Goodwill Games, the US Gymnastics Federation, former AOL Time Warner Inc, TIG Insurance Co and Xie Xiaohong and Liu Guosheng, two legal guardians appointed after the accident.

The compensation demanded is $100 million for each of the 18 claims filed, ranging from breach of agreement, violations of a various federal, state and city laws, insurance violations, to defamation and negligence.

Additional charges were filed in mid May against Xue Weisen, son of the two defendants Xie Xiaohong and Liu Guosheng, for sexual harassment, Mo Hu, the well-known Chinese-American lawyer who represents the two defendants and others. That brought the total compensation sought to $2.1 billion.

However, Sang's lawyer Hai Ming withdrew the charge against Ted Turner on June 20, saying Turner as an individual has no legal responsibility for the case. On June 27, Hai Ming also dropped civil complaint against Xue Weisen because Xue is not an American citizen, therefore not subject to the legal jurisdiction of US federal court. On June 28, lawsuit against Time Warner was also dropped, reducing the total compensation sought to $1.7 billion.

That gave widespread speculation that other charges will be dropped as well.

Hai Ming told reporters Tuesday that they have collected enough evidence to gear up for the fight against those who infringed Sang"s right as an individual.

"We have collected every single piece of evidence for the case," Hai Ming said, "And we are ready for a long march, no matter how long it may possibly take, we'll persist until we win".

Sang has also decided to stand up and fight Liu Guosheng and Xie Xiaohong, whom she stayed with after her injury in the United States. She said she was sexually assaulted by their son, Xue Weisen. She has also denied media report that she and Xue were once in love.

Meanwhile, Hai Ming revealed to the media that confidential agreements have been reached with the insurance company and the US Gymnastics Federation, but no details were given.

Sang was paralyzed during a warm-up at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, where she injured her spinal cord when the gymnastics coach from Romania walked into the vault area and removed a mat before she landed, according to Sang’s description to the news media.

The injury forced her to live in a wheelchair ever since.

"The injury has changed my life completely," Sang said, "The past 13 years have been a very difficult time for me to face my life, I cried, but I’ll have to face the next day with a smile and a positive attitude to be who I am today."

Sang also said that despite her physical difficulties, she would not give up any chance to protect her legal rights by resorting to law, and all she will do all she could to reach justice for herself.

Arriving in New York last week, Sang plans to stay in the United Stated for about two months, during which physical therapy rehabilitation training will also be scheduled for her hands and amyotrophic lower legs by her doctor.

Back in China, people reacted differently to the case. Some expressed their support and sympathy while others accused Sang of being greedy in seeking compensation and ungrateful in suing people who claimed to have taken good care of Sang after the accident.