Decorated Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe fighting infection, likely won't swim competitively again

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe is fighting a "serious infection" — caused by two bugs following a series of surgeries — that is all but certain to end his hopes of ever swimming competitively again. His manager James Erskine told Australian media that Thorpe is "quite sick" and is being treated in a Sydney hospital's intensive care ward.

"He's contracted two forms of bugs in hospital," said Erskine. "He's undergone two or three operations over the last two months so, I mean bad luck." Thorpe is reportedly fighting a MRSA-like superbug, a strain of staph bacteria that's resistant to antibiotics and requires intense treatment.

The 31-year-old swimmer's left shoulder has undergone at least two operations in the past two months for injuries sustained from years of swimming. Thorpe's manager denied reports that his arm might have to be amputated because of the infection.

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