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Who Is Lorenzo Bonicelli? Latest Update on the Italian Gymnast's Condition After Nasty Fall at World University Games
Image via Gymnastics Now: Lorenzo Bonicelli
Olympic fans around the globe were left stunned earlier this week after Italian gymnast Lorenzo Bonicelli suffered a life-threatening injury at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany.
While attempting a high-risk triple backflip dismount during the men's team all-around event, the 23-year-old landed awkwardly on his neck, leading to a severe injury that required him to be placed in a medically induced coma.
The shocking incident unfolded during an event that brought together over 8,500 student-athletes competing across 18 sports. Bonicelli was pushing hard to earn a spot on Italy's national team for the upcoming 2025 World Championships in Jakarta.
Lorenzo Bonicelli Is Currently Stable and in the Process of Rehabilitation
The Italian was carried out on a stretcher as soon as the fall occurred. As mentioned, the 23-year-old underwent emergency surgery and was put into a medically induced coma. He remains in intensive care as of now, but is fortunately making constant progress.
The Italian Gymnastics Federation said in an official statement on Friday, "Lorenzo Bonicelli's condition is stable and his life is not in danger…..From the University Hospital in Essen...
we (learned) that today, the athlete, who remained conscious after the accident until the moment of surgery, was awakened from a medically-induced coma and is showing positive signs.'
Moreover, Bonicelli's family is also present with him at the University Hospital of Essen. Apart from this, Italy has officially withdrawn from the competition with the athletes set to return to their home country on 27th July.
Who Is Lorenzo Bonicelli? The 23-Year-Old Gymnastics Prodigy From Italy
Lorenzo Bonicelli is a 23-year-old gymnast from Lecco, Italy, representing the Ghislanzoni GAL gymnastics club.
Apart from that, he's also an economics student at Mercatorum University. Bonicelli first gained attention at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Győr, Hungary, where he helped Italy secure a team bronze (score of 159.179 points) alongside Ivan Brunello and Lorenzo Minh Casali, who later competed at the Paris Olympics.
His international journey began in 2017 at age 15 at the Austrian Future Cup and continued with another podium finish at the 2019 World Youth Championships.
After a break due to the pandemic, Bonicelli returned stronger and played a key role in Italy's qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the 2023 World Cup in Antwerp.
Though he missed the 2024 European Championships in Leipzig, he remained an integral part of the national team and is considered one of Italy's brightest hopes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Most recently, Bonicelli competed at the FIG Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, in February 2025. He qualified for the horizontal bar finals and finished fourth with a score of 13.800.
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