Fast-acting Coach Saves Gymnast -Twice

Italian gymnast Sara Berardinelli takes to the uneven bars at L'International Gymnix competition last weekend in Montreal. Her coach Mauro di Rienzo is right there, with a trained eye and lightning-fast reflexes when she clips the bar. His catch may have saved her from breaking her neck! You can see the catch from a different angle here. Then she tried to finish her routine, but makes the same miscalculation again. And once again, di Rienzo is right there to save her from paralysis or worse. Gymnastics is scary, and he deserves a medal himself for his quick actions.

At the same time, I have to wonder if he knew she wasn’t ready for this event. In the qualifying round, she completed the routine just fine, but he was inches away while she was on the high bar in case anything went wrong. (via Uproxx)