Olympic gold medalist Kathleen Baker suffered a broken foot and twisted ankle in May, the backstroke specialist revealed on Instagram Tuesday.
"In a freak walking accident in the beginning of May, I twisted my ankle and fractured a bone in my foot," Baker wrote. "While the timing isn’t ideal, fortunately I’ve been able to be in the water everyday and am focused on Trials."
Baker's announcement comes less than a week before the start of Wave II of the U.S. Swimming Trials, where Baker is hoping to secure her place on a second Olympic team. She led off the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's 4x100 medley relay team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and also won solo silver in the 100m backstroke.
While she suggests that the injury will not keep her from competing at Trials, any limitations in training could prove significant in an event that boasts one of the deepest American fields in the swimming program. Fellow Rio Olympian Olivia Smoliga, fast teenager Phoebe Bacon and world record holder Regan Smith all represent contenders to claim one of the two Olympic places in the event.
Wave II of the U.S. Swimming Trials begins June 13, airing on the networks of NBC Universal and streaming live on NBCOlympics.com.