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An Indonesian gymnast and Olympic hopeful tragically died this week after sustaining a severe neck injury while executing an advanced skill in Russia, his home country announced.
Naufal Takdir Al Bari, 19, was attending a national team training camp in Penza when he attempted a skill on the horizontal high bar and landed awkwardly in a foam pit, according to the Russian Gymnastics Federation.
The critical injury left the elite athlete hospitalized in intensive care for 12 days before he died Thursday.
“Naufal is a talented young athlete and a good person,” Indonesia Gymnastics Federation chairman Ita Yulati said in a statement shared on Instagram.
“Indonesian Gymnastics has lost one of the nation’s finest. This is a deep blow and sorrow for us. May the family be given strength.”
Officials said the young gymnast had been preparing for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, next month and was projected to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Russian gymnastic officials said they conducted an investigation into Al Bari’s death, noting the rising star was not ready to perform the element he attempted.
“We sent our condolences to the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation today, informed them of what happened, and we have done everything that needed to be done,” Vasily Titov, vice president of the federation, told Russian media.
“We conducted the necessary investigation, and all the circumstances surrounding the injury have been established. Unfortunately, the athlete was not prepared to perform such a complex element.”
The stunt Al Bari was executing remains unknown.
