health and wellness | March 22, 2026

What happened to the gymnast that broke her neck?

What happened to the gymnast that broke her neck?

Death. Mukhina died of apparent complications from quadriplegia on December 22, 2006 (aged 46).

Who broke their neck in gymnastics?

Elena Mukhina
Gymnasts like Simone Biles know what the slightest mental lapse can do. [Follow our live coverage of the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony.] Before Elena Mukhina broke her neck doing the Thomas salto, a skill so dangerous it is now banned, she told her coach she was going to break her neck doing the Thomas salto.

How did Julissa Gomez break her neck?

During warmups for the final, held on May 5, 1988, Gomez continued to practice the Yurchenko. As she raced toward the vault on one of her practice runs, her foot slipped off the springboard and she slammed headfirst into the vaulting horse at high speed. The resulting impact instantly paralyzed her from the neck down.

Why is Thomas salto banned?

The move is effectively banned as it was removed from the Code of Points following several serious accidents, most notably the paralysis of Elena Mukhina in 1980. As of the 2017–2020 quad, rollout skills including the Thomas salto have been banned for both men and women.

Is the Thomas salto banned?

An example of a roll-out skill is the Thomas Salto, named after Kurt Thomas. The Thomas Salto is a back salto with 1.5 flips and 1.5 twists that the gymnast rolls out of at the end before standing up. They were banned in men’s gymnastics as well in the 2017-2020 Code of Points because of the same safety concerns.

What happened to Melanie Coleman?

Melanie Coleman, a 20-year-old gymnast at Southern Connecticut State University, died on Sunday after suffering a serious spinal cord injury during training. After sustaining the injury, Coleman was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she died two days later.

What ligament did Samantha tear?

On her right knee, he realigned the bones in the knee and fixed the ACL, PCL and three other ligaments. The surgery took less than three hours rather than the expected six to eight, per espnW, because all of the best possible scenarios happened, Emblom said.

How old was Elena Mukhina when she was paralyzed?

And it’s tragic. Mukhina, a 20-year-old Soviet gymnast, was encouraged to train on a broken leg in the lead up to the 1980 Olympics.

How old was Julissa Gomez when she died?

18 years (1972–1991)Julissa Gomez / Age at death

Why is Simone Biles the best gymnast ever?

Biles has won more world championship medals than any gymnast in history with 25. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, she won four gold medals and a bronze. She’s become so sophisticated in the sport that new moves are named after her. She’s also performing some routines that only the men have accomplished.