South African middle distance runner Juan van Deventer's season has come to an end after he was hit by a car while training.
Van Deventer's manager Oliver Topueth said the Olympic medal hopeful was hit by a car while cutting a corner on a training run in Ruimsig, northwest of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
“He is lucky to be alive. The car hit him on his knee and his knee cap was subsequently broken,” Topueth said on Thursday.
Topueth said Van Deventer would undergo an operation later Thursday and it would take at least two months for the knee to heal.
“This is a nightmare for Van Deventer as his winter season went extremely well and he was in the shape of his life,” he said.
Van Deventer was set to leave for Shanghai on Thursday for Sunday's second event in the 14-meeting Diamond League series in China.
Topueth said the 28-year-old was also preparing for the fourth Diamond League meet in Eugene in the United States on June 4.
“He was supposed to run the mile in Eugene, which is the most prestigious mile meeting in the world.”
Van Deventer reached the men's 1 500m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
He won the national title over the same distance in April and set the B-standard qualifying time for the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea in August. – Sapa