The air was still inside Messe Essen on July 23rd. Spectators held their breath as a 23-year-old gymnast took to the rings, muscles tense, eyes locked in focus. For a few seconds, everything seemed to go according to plan until the unthinkable happened. Midway through the routine, he lost control mid-air and came crashing down, drawing gasps and horrified silence from the crowd. What followed wasn’t just a fall; it was a moment that stunned the entire gymnastics world.
The gymnast’s triple‑back dismount did not go as planned, and down came his neck onto the mat. In the most dreadful moment of the event, Lorenzo Bonicelli lay on the mat motionless. The first responders and FISU rushed to the scene, picking up the gymnast on a stretcher and swiftly carrying him to the Essen University Hospital, where surgeons performed emergency cervical spine surgery. And it’s not just his team that has been hit hard, not just his family, but the entire gymnastics community that had its hands folded praying to God. And in a heart-winning gesture, the Nation of Harmony has stepped forward.
The emotional impact of seeing your teammate come down crashing on his neck and lie there on the mat motionless, it would take more than a lot and a lot of everything to go and perform there again. The Italian team has respected their emotions more and chosen to withdraw from the competition. Meanwhile, two Swedish gymnasts joined in the tributes on July 24. “Stay strong, we’re with you,” wrote Luca Murabito in Italian, a heartfelt gesture from the Swiss gymnast, and his teammate went an extra step.
Tim Randegger took to his official Instagram handle, uploading the news and writing, “Today we will compete for you” with emojis of Switzerland and Italy. Randegger had promised to dedicate their performance to the World University. Japan won gold with 252.027 points, and Canada took silver with 239.593.
Swiss mag pic.twitter.com/kY0jeKSMbr
— ale (@maxstafina) July 25, 2025
Switzerland captured the bronze medal in the men’s artistic gymnastics team final at the 2025 World University Games, finishing in 3rd place with a total score of 239.162. Lorenzo Bonicelli finished in 3rd place with a total score of 239.162. The gymnastics community was praying, and maybe it worked. What’s the update on him?
Health update of Lorenzo Bonicelli…
The Italian Gymnastics Federation (Federazione Ginnastica d’Italia) has shared an encouraging update on Lorenzo Bonicelli’s health. According to their statement, the young gymnast is no longer facing any immediate danger: “Lorenzo Bonicelli’s condition is stable, and his life is not in danger.” The report, based on information from University Hospital in Essen, Germany—where Bonicelli was competing under the banner of FederCusi at the 32nd Summer Universiade—notes that although he remained conscious following his accident, he was later placed in a medically induced coma.
He has since been “awakened from a medically induced coma today and is showing signs of recovery.”However, the full picture remains serious. A hospital spokesperson confirmed that the 23-year-old gymnast remains in intensive care, explaining that “his family is with him, and his teammates visited him and were able to say goodbye.” He is out of life-threatening danger, just like the gymnastics community, we all pray for his speedy recovery.
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