The South African triathlete, Mhlengi Gwala has been attacked by a chainsaw-wielding gang while on a training ride in Durban.
Three men are believed to have dragged the athlete into a bush and attempted to hack at his leg with a chainsaw.
”We don’t yet know how far they went in‚ whether they were trying to cut it off‚ or what the circumstances are," Dennis Jackson, director of the Elite Athlete Development programme, told Times Live.
"All we know is that Mhlengi is alive‚ he is talking and that he is under medical care."
Calling the attack "really bizarre", Mr Jackson added that Mr Mhlengi "doesn't know why they left".
He said the athlete would not take part in the South African Triathlon Championships later this month.
Fellow athletes have been tweeting about the attack, and offering their sympathies to Mr Gwala.
