(AFP) – Dutch BMX cyclist Jelle van Gorkom has awoken from a coma and his life is no longer in danger, officials said Monday, cautioning however that he faced a long recovery.
The 27-year-old is “making good progress, and is out of acute danger,” the Royal Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU) said on its website.
Van Gorkom, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was hurt in an accident on January 9 during training on a BMX track at the national sports centre in eastern Papendal near Arnhem.
He was placed in an induced coma for several days, suffering from broken ribs, a fracture to the face, a fractured skull and damage to his liver, spleen and kidneys.
The KNWU said Van Gorkom was now conscious, reacting to stimuli, making contact and recognising people.
But he remains “fragile” and “it is obvious that he will need a long rehabilitation with no guarantees that he will make a full recovery,” the association said.
