Grave fears are held for Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe, after reports that he has contracted a serious infection and may lose the use of his left arm.

The 31-year-old gold medallist is receiving treatment for an infection after receiving surgery at a hospital near his Swiss home of Ronco sopra Ascona, on Tuesday evening.

Thorpe was flown to Sydney, where he is in intensive care, and his close associates fear that he could lose the use of his left arm, Network Seven reported.

The troubled swimmer spent time in a rehab facility in February, where he was treated for depression and painkillers after he was found walking around a Sydney street dazed and disoriented.

His management claimed Thorpe had been taking the painkillers due to a shoulder operation earlier in the year.


The five-time Olympic gold medallist has had a difficult time since his glory days at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Thorpe revealed in his 2013 autobiography, This Is Me: The Autobiography, that he has been battling ‘crippling depression’ for more than a decade.
In the book, Thorpe wrote about how he had at times considered suicide and confessed to drinking huge quantities of alcohol to deal with his depression.

Despite an ill-fated attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, Thorpe wanted to continue swimming and had been training as recently as August 2013.

He had hoped to gain selection in Australia’s Commonwealth Games team to compete in Scotland this year but a shoulder injury ruined his chances and he conceded that his career was over.

Shortly after London 2012 he moved to Switzerland, but returned to Australia in December last year.