The wait remains, with prayers in the background and so much, so much affection. The outpouring of support from Lorenzo Bonicelli, the Italian gymnast in the hospital after his serious injury on the rings , is almost overwhelming.

At his side at the Essen University Hospital, where he's being treated, are his parents and the president of the club he competes for , who flew to Germany as soon as he learned of the accident. Together with the doctors, they're developing a recovery plan to bring Bonni closer to home , but it's impossible to provide a precise timetable at the moment because it's still within 72 hours of the accident.

Meanwhile , Bonicelli remains stable, albeit in intensive care and in a medically induced coma . The recovery process is proceeding step by step, but it will take time because the fractured vertebra has affected the spinal cord, thus forming an edema that must be reabsorbed . For this reason, the most frequently used words so far are "caution" and "patience." No one, including the doctors, is making any predictions because the situation could change at any moment, not only for the worse, but also for the better. A more certain diagnosis, however, will require more hours to pass because "Lorenzo's body is still in a state of flux," although yesterday there was cautious optimism regarding the mobility of his upper limbs , which are capable of responding to the stresses to which they have been subjected.

Meanwhile, the president of the Italian gymnastics federation, Andrea Facci, is also ready to leave for Essen , and while sharing everyone's concerns, he is responding in some way to Jury Chechi, who in recent days had spoken about the risks for athletes dictated by international rules that push the exercises to the extreme.

"I don't think this is the right time to comment on the technical aspects, the rules of the international code. We can do that later, and I will certainly bring a reflection on this aspect to the international stage," Facci told Ansa. "Now is the time to all stand united for Lorenzo."

(Unioneonline/vl)

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