If you’ve ever watched a gymnastics competition, you know that falls are about as routine as, well, the routines themselves. Because of this, coaches often step in to spot for gymnasts during maneuvers with a high degree of difficulty. Even then, knowing the routine and standing in the right place doesn’t prepare you for all the ways something can go awry.
Recently, Sara Berardinelli, an Italian gymnast competing at L’International Gymnix 2015 in Montreal, failed to clear the high bar on her uneven parallel bars routine — a gaffe that flipped her around and sent her tumbling head-first towards the ground. Thankfully, her coach was in the right place and caught her before a potentially devastating injury. In typical gymnast fashion, she shook it off and got right back on the bars to finish her routine.
[Reddit]