2028 GAMES

Olympic Hopeful, 19, Dies in Freak Training Accident

Officials have spoken out after an Indonesian teen died while attempting a new skill at a Russian training camp.

Indonesian gymnast Naufal Takdir Al Bari, who was projected to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has died after sustaining a critical injury at a training camp in Russia. 19-year-old Al Bari injured his neck after landing awkwardly in a foam pit while attempting a skill on the horizontal high bars, according to officials. Al Bari was with his team at a training camp in Penza, western Russia, and was hospitalized for 12 days following the severe injury, before dying on Thursday. The teen had been training to compete at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in his home country next month, with Indonesia Gymnastics Federation chairman Ita Yulati describing him as “one of the nation’s finest.” Russian officials looked into the death, and concluded that Al Bari was attempting an unnamed skill beyond his abilities. Russian Gymnastics Federation vice president Vasily Titov stated: “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.”