LOS ANGELES - Misty May-Treanor is too hurt to keep dancing.
The 31-year-old "Dancing with the Stars" contestant and Olympic gold medallist volleyball player appeared at the conclusion of Monday's show on crutches and with a cast on her left leg to announce that she's out of the popular ABC dancing competition after injuring herself while rehearsing Friday.
"I heard a pop," said May-Treanor, who was practicing the jive on the show's ballroom set when she ruptured her left Achilles tendon. "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 had a previous knee injury from playing volleyball, and her professional partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, had been a formidable dancing duo, scoring a 21 out of 30 for their previous foxtrot, mambo and paso double routines. Co-host Samantha Harris said what May-Treanor's early exit means for the competition would be revealed on Tuesday's show.
"Poor thing," said chef Rocco DiSpirito, a fellow celebrity contestant who was by May-Treanor's side after she injured herself Friday. "She was dancing so beautifully. She looked so cute. And then she hurt herself. We didn't realize to what extent. We just tried to comfort her the best we could."
It's not the first injury sustained by a competitor this season. Comedian Jeffrey Ross, who was eliminated the first week, suffered a scratched cornea after his partner Edyta Sliwinska accidentally poked him. Professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, who's partnered with chef Rocco DiSpirito, also sprained her ankle the first week. Both continued to compete despite their injuries.
