Josh Harcourt, now 18, of Charring, Kent, was left tetraplegic by the accident and will never be able to work or support himself.

A nationally ranked gymnast, he was training six days a week for the November 2004 British Championships in Wigan, when he broke his neck at the Pegasus Gymnastics Club, near Maidstone, in September.

Through his mother, Maxine Harcourt, he sued the club and his trainers, Ovidiu Rugina and Ionut Trandaburu, from Kent, both of whom were high-level Romanian gymnasts before they qualified as performance coaches in Britain.

He claimed that they were negligent in asking him to perform the manoeuvre again after he had already failed to manage it once.

But the club and the two coaches denied liability, claiming that it was a “freak accident” in a dangerous discipline for which they should not be held legally responsible.

Mr Justice Ramsay approved a million-pound “interim payment” to help Mr Harcourt to move out of his unsatisfactory housing in which he is separated from his family.

The case was due to be heard the High Court in London but before the trial could begin, the case against the club and the coaches was settled on the basis of 75 per cent of a full valuation of Mr Harcourt’s claim.

The exact amount of his compensation has to be assessed — but his lawyers say he should now receive up to £6 million, even after a 25 per cent deduction from any settlement.

At a preliminary hearing this month, Allan Gore, QC, told the court that Mr Harcourt’s coaches had introduced a new exercise regime while he was training for the competition.

One exercise was the one and three-quarter front somersault to roll out, a manoeuvre which involves a gymnast spinning 540 degrees in the air and landing on the shoulders and upper back before rolling down the spine to land on the feet in a standing position.

Mr Harcourt, the QC claimed, had tried the move once already and ended up winded after landing on his back. On the second attempt he landed on his front after under-rotating and his neck and shoulders landed between two mats, causing a fracture of the vertebra and a total lesion of his spinal chord.

Approving the £1 million interim payment, Mr Justice Ramsey said: “He suffered a high impact flexion injury and, as a resulty, was rendered completely tetraplegic.

“This was a tragic accident which has had a considerable impact on Josh and his family.

“It is quite clear that Josh is a person of great character who is currently, despite his difficulties, taking A-levels and hopes to go on to university.

“As a result he will need specific support and care in the future and it is a credit to him and his family that he’s managed to overcome these great difficulties in such way.”

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