Swimmer caught a bug after surgery, reports say, and is now being treated in Sydney

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Swimming great Ian Thorpe is in intensive care after receiving treatment for a serious infection, according to reports.



Network Seven reported on Tuesday evening that the 31-year-old five-time Olympic gold medallist contracted the bug after surgery at a hospital near his home in the Swiss town of Ronco sopra Ascona.



He is now under intensive care in Sydney, and Seven said Thorpe's close associates fear he could lose the use of his left arm.

However, ABC quoted Thorpe's manager, James Erskine, as saying the swimmer was not in intensive care but was being treated with large doses of antibiotics. He added that Thorpe had contracted the infection after surgery at a hospital in Sydney.



Thorpe's father revealed in February that the swimmer was battling depression.



He sought help in early 2014 after being found disoriented near his parents' Sydney home, having taken a combination of antidepressants and medication for a shoulder injury.



Thorpe was sent for medical assessment to Bankstown hospital and then entered a rehabilitation program.



The swimmer made an ill-fated attempt to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.



Thorpe's manager did not immediately respond to a request for comment.