Olympic BMX cycling silver medalist Jelle van Gorkom is in a coma after crashing hard while training in his home nation of the Netherlands.
The 27-year-old cyclist was practicing at the Dutch National Sports Centre in Papendal near Arnheim on Jan. 11 when he wiped out at the base of the starting ramp.
National BMX cycling coach Bas de Bever added that he hoped Jelle’s partner and family would given “peace and privacy."
Gorkom won the silver medal in BMX at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
BMX racing offers short, intense competitions, often less than 30 seconds long, where riders negotiate many small ramps and steeply banked corners, spending much of the time flying through the air.
This is the second time Gorkom has been in a coma due to a cycling crash.
While preparing for the 2012 games, Gorkum crashed badly at an event in Chula Vista, California, which made it impossible for him to contest for medals at the 2012 London Games—he competed in London less than four months after coming out of a coma.