Injury Forces May-Treanor Out of 'Dancing With the Stars'

Jeff Lajoie October 07, 2008

Photo: FIVB

Misty May-Treanor at an FIVB Beach event this summer

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

Release by:
Jeff Lajoie
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: jeff.lajoie@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 7, 2008) - After rupturing her left Achilles tendon during a rehearsal on Friday, two-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor is out of ABC television's "Dancing With the Stars" competition.

May-Treanor (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had surgery on Tuesday to repair the tendon.

"I heard a pop," May-Treanor said on Monday night's broadcast. "I was doing the Lindy Hop. I thought I flew out of control and hit the judges' stairs, or it felt like I got hit in the back with a baseball bat. Then, I just couldn't put weight on it."

May-Treanor, who was practicing in the show's ballroom with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy when the injury occurred, tried to shake the injury off and continue dancing, May-Treanor realized the seriousness of the situation, and was rushed to the hospital.

"I was like: OK, I'm an athlete - tape it up and get back out there," said May-Treanor on Monday's broadcast. "I never thought in a million years, especially in ballroom, that I would hurt myself. But it can happen."

Despite the injury, May-Treanor doesn't expect it will interfere with her volleyball career.

"I was planning on taking time off next year anyway," she said Monday. "Ultimately this is a perfect time if this was going to happen. It didn't throw a wrench into any of the plans that we had."

Partner and fellow two-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh (Saratoga, Calif.), playing in a SWATCH FIVB World Tour beach event in Dubai, was sorry to hear about the injury that forced May-Treanor out of the competition.

"I am extremely disappointed for Misty," Walsh told the FIVB. "She was really enjoying the event and looked great with Maksim. I have talked with Misty and she is handling everything okay. She is disappointed that she could not continue as she was really enjoying the experience."

May-Treanor and Chmerkovskiy had scored 21 out of a possible 30 from the judges in all three dances in the competition before the injury. Their average was the fifth highest this season.