Ruta Meilutyte Undergoes Surgery On Foot Injury As Paris Beckons
Ruta Meilutyte has undergone surgery on a foot injury, less than five months before the Olympics get under way in Paris.
The London 2012 100m breaststroke champion, who claimed her third straight 50m title at last month’s World Championships in Doha, had the operation on her left foot at the Gijos Klinikai in Kaunas.
LTU Aquatics posted on their website, quoting Gintautas Pocius who carried out the surgery.
He said:
“Ruta’s foot has been hurting for several months during heavy physical exertion. After carrying out the tests, we found damage to the first metatarsal bone of the left foot – the cartilage of the thumb joint.
“During the arthroscopic operation, the necessary surgical steps were performed. Since the operation is a minimally invasive arthroscopy, we expect a quick rehabilitation process.”
Doctors are optimistic the 26-year-old can expect a full recovery in two months and will wear a special brace for three weeks.
According to Justos Achramavičius, the sports manager of LTU Aquatics, it is expected that Meilutyte will be able to return to training at the beginning of April.
The women’s 100m breaststroke prelims start on 28 July, giving Meilutyte less than 150 days.