The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta is already under a lot of scrutiny regarding the equipment and the white floors. But now, a mishap at the training hall has raised public concerns even higher. German star, Gabriel Eichhorn, was practicing his routines on the high bar when he met with a training accident. But while Eichhorn escaped with no major injuries, the aftermath of the accident has triggered a larger conversation.

Taking to Instagram, Eichhorn shared some visuals through his IG Stories. His first Story showcased his impeccable landing, and the caption read, “Preparation was good…” But in the very next Story, the German gymnast showed the visual of how the high bar in the training hall broke under him, forcing him to land early. The caption highlighted his emotions running at the moment – “… and scary.” 

Soon, a fan shared the visuals through their profile and captioned, “So apparently the high bar in the training hall FELL APART under Gabriel Eichhorn.” The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has not yet issued a formal statement, but the silence is doing little to calm growing worries. What’s more troubling is that this isn’t the first time questions have been raised about the equipment at the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships. 

As the world’s best prepare to take the stage, the focus is shifting away from medals and routines. The question now is whether the athletes will even be safe enough to perform. And after the mishap at the training hall, the concerns kept rising. 

Social media erupts after the incident at the 2025 World Gymnastics 

After the visuals went viral on X, the fans had only one thing on their mind – the incident could have ended on a terrible note. One fan highlighted this and commented, “good lord this could have been TERRIBLE for him.” Meanwhile, another fan put the blame of the organizers. The comment read, “For real! The people in charge of equipment are playing with the gymnasts’ lives.” The equipment in Jakarta is reportedly absorbing more force than it returns. That’s the opposite of what gymnasts train for. Less bounce increases the risk of injuries.

This wasn’t the only problem at the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships. The white floors had already disoriented many gymnasts, including Brody Malone. Complaints regarding a stiff floor and vault kept riling up. Even Joscelyn Roberson complained about her initial trouble with the vault during podium practice. Nevertheless, the athletes were quick to adapt. And so was Gabriel Eichhorn. As he landed softly without any injury, a fan claimed, “It’s so lucky that he was not harmed 😭.”

The same concerns piled up on Instagram when Planet of Gymnastics shared the news on their profile. One fan commented, “Several athletes have already commented that the equipments are dangerous!” Another fan slammed the organizing committee for allegedly jeopardising the gymnast’s safety. The comment went like, “Crappy equipment and white mats will make this the worst worlds ever. Just hoping no one gets hurt in this sham meet.”

On the other hand, some fans rallied to highlight the agility and prowess that Eichhorn showcased at the training hall. Despite having the equipment fall apart, Eichhorn completed a flip and made a successful landing.