Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte tore his MCL in Florida Sunday after a teen fan ran at him. The five-time Olympic gold medalist caught the teenage girl, causing both to topple over.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Lochte hit his left knee on a curb, tore his MCL, and sprained his ACL. His injury isn't career threatening but he will have to opt out of competitions until he recovers. No timetable was given.
The MCL, also known as Medial Collateral Ligament, is one of the four major ligaments in the knee. It is located on the inner side of the joint. The ACL, known as the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is another ligament that connects the upper to the lower leg bones.
His publicist released a statement saying: "As a result of a freak injury caused by an unexpected fan encounter, Ryan has suffered a torn MCL and an ACL sprain and will be taking a break from training and competition. His medical team expects him to make a full and speedy recovery and Ryan thanks everyone for their well wishes."
USA Today reported that the girl, whose identity hasn't been revealed, was left unharmed.
Lochte was headed to Gainesville last weekend for training. He has trained there for several years after competing for the University of Florida.
He is scheduled to represent the U.S. in a swim meet in Scotland on Dec. 20-21.
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