Europe has been the continent that produced generations of gymnastics greats. But today’s a sad day for this legacy as they lose an icon famously called the ‘blue angel’ of Italian gymnastics. The news has come in as a major shock, and fans are still reacting to the loss.

Gymnastics bid farewell to one of its most decorated champions, as reported by Eurosport on X: “Franco Menichelli, former artistic gymnast and coach, has passed away at the age of 84. He was an Olympic champion at Tokyo 1964 and won a total of five Olympic medals across three editions of the Games.”

For those unaware, Menichelli was the legend of 20th century gymnastics. He was among the first gymnasts who started popularizing the trend of wearing ‘shorts’ instead of classic white long-legged pants during his signature floor exercise routines. Perhaps influenced by his early football background.

Born in Rome in 1941, Menichelli hailed from an athletics family, but he chose gymnastics over football unlike his brother who played the World Cup. At the young age of 11, the Italian started to train and made his Olympic debut on home soil at the 1960 Rome Games, where he won two bronze medals to become the ‘hometown hero.’

Following his competitive years, Menichelli had also served as the coach of the Italian national team from 1973 to 1979. And finally, in 2003, he was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Therefore, not only did the Italian Gymnastics Federation, its President and Board of Directors express condolences to Menichelli’s family, but the news of his passing spread across social media also left his followers heartbroken.

Gymnastics community united with tributes

The gymnastics world has had a rough start to 2026, losing several Olympic legends in close succession. But, for Italy specifically, this loss remains profound as Franco Menichelli was no less than a hero. His career was defined by performances that spoke for themselves, as he secured five Olympic medals, three World Championship medals, and fourteen European Championship medals throughout his journey. Therefore mourning his loss, a fan wrote, “Farewell, Legendary Champion!”

Meanwhile, some gymnastics fans recalled how Menichelli was a talking point at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, before he ruptured his Achilles tendon. The images of his coach Arrigo Carnoli carrying him off the mats had left Italians numb. Remembering that, a fan said, “When he got injured in Mexico 1968, all of Italy was traumatized. He was the favorite.”

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Such sentiments show how connected Italians were with their gymnastics icon. Another comment read, “Nooo, I’m so so sorry. My deepest condolences to the family. 💔  I met him personally during the summer of 2021 while on holiday in Lazio. 😭” Some who had the pleasure of meeting him in-person revealed, “I am very sorry…. I had the pleasure of meeting him in 2021 during the holidays in Bolsena. Condolences to his wife and family.”

After Menichelli got inducted into the Hall of Fame, a decade later, his nation honored his lifelong contributions by inscribing his name on the Walk of Fame of Italian sport at the Foro Italico in Rome. No wonder, another fan wrote, “How many times Dad told me about the great Menichelli. RIP Champion.”

Unfortunately, Franco Menichelli’s passing puts an end to a celebrated chapter in gymnastics history, however, it’s one that will never fade away from the fans’ memories.