World University Games in Essen
Coma after horror accident: update to turn talent
Updated on July 25th, 2025 – 8:15 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
During the qualification in gymnastics, Lorenzo Bonicelli undermines a serious mistake. It is still unclear how severe the injury is really. Now there was new information.
The Italian gymnast Lorenzo Bonicelli was awakened from the artificial coma after his serious accident at the World University Games Rhine-Ruhr. This was announced by the Italian gymnastics association (FGI) on Friday. Bonicelli fell on Wednesday during the qualification in gymnastics in Essen at the world championship of the students, afterwards the 23-year-old had to be operated on at the cervical vertebrae.
Bonicelli wanted to do a triple backward salo at the end of his exercise – a technically extremely demanding element. However, he overturned and fell directly on his neck. Then he stayed motionless on the mat. Rescue workers reacted immediately. Bonicelli was brought to the University Hospital Essen in the evening.
“The condition of Lorenzo Bonicelli is stable and his life is not in danger,” said the association. Accordingly, the athlete, “remained” after the accident until the operation with consciousness “, was awakened from the artificial coma on Friday and is said to show” positive signs “since then.
According to a spokeswoman for the university hospital in Essen, Bonicelli is currently in the intensive care unit in the presence of his family. His teammates are said to have already visited him and spoke to him.
Bonicelli is considered one of the greatest talents in Turnen Italy and the hope for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He celebrated his international breakthrough in 2019 with the bronze medal in the team at the youth World Cup in Györ in Hungarian. He had chances of nomination for the 2025 World Cup in Jakarta.
After the accident, the Italian team withdrew its entire gymnastics team from the competition. The association said: “The entire association is closed behind Lorenzo and wishes him a quick recovery. Forza Bonni!”