Italy’s gymnastics community is holding its breath as 23-year-old gymnast Lorenzo Bonicelli remains in an induced coma following a serious accident at the FISU World Summer University Games. The athlete from Abbadia Lariana suffered a severe neck injury after falling during a rings routine in the team competition.
Bonicelli, who represents Ghislanzoni GAL and is an Economics student at the Università Mercatorum, was conscious when medical staff rushed to his aid. He was immediately transferred to the University Hospital in Essen, where he underwent emergency surgery for fractures to his cervical vertebrae.
Though no official medical bulletin has been released, former International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) director Steve Butcher confirmed the severity of the situation in a social media post. “Lorenzo is in an induced coma following surgery. It will take at least ten days before doctors can evaluate his condition. The entire gymnastics family is praying for a full recovery,” Butcher wrote.
The emotional impact of the incident has reverberated through the Italian delegation. The Italian men’s gymnastics team, which also included Riccardo Villa and Niccolò Vannucchi, has been withdrawn from the Universiade in solidarity with Bonicelli. National coach Paolo Bucci, currently attending the European Youth Olympic Festival, expressed the team’s feelings in a message of support: “We want to express our closeness to Lorenzo Bonicelli and his family, hoping everything will turn out for the best.”
The coming days will be crucial as doctors monitor Bonicelli’s condition, while the gymnastics world unites in hope for his recovery.
