Will Bayley fears the injury that forced him to quit Strictly Come Dancing could rule him out of defending his Paralympic crown in Tokyo next year.
The table tennis player, 31, pulled out of Strictly after suffering a serious knee injury during rehearsals.
He broke down in tears after announcing his decision - and is now worried about the impact it could have on his sporting career.
Will told The Sun: "I'm so gutted. I was just in total shock. It has been a traumatic four days for me.
"I knew I had felt my knee pop and I was in agony. I'm not going to lie, the second I landed and felt it I thought 'Tokyo' but thought I'd get some physio, rest it for a day, and be back dancing next week.
"I can take pain, I've been in pain all my life, but I screamed in agony and the next day I couldn't do anything, so alarm bells started ringing.
"It has hurt ever since. I went for a scan, and now the decision has been taken out of my hands."
Will was born with arthrogryposis, a debilitating limb condition which leaves him in pain just from walking.
Despite this, he is currently ranked the world number one table tennis player and is the reigning Paralympic gold medallist having triumphed in the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.
After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, Will could be facing six months out of action, with the Tokyo games set to begin in August 2020.
"If I have to miss Tokyo it would be devastating," he said.
"I'm at the top of my career. I've played four major tournaments this season and I've won three gold medals. I'm the best player in the world at the moment.
"So this is just massively scary to have this injury at this moment. It's only just starting to sink in."
On Wednesday, Will, who was partnered with professional dancer Janette Manrara, made a tearful appearance on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two.
The athlete was seen reaching for a tissue as a montage of his time on the show was played, with Will saying "I didn’t want it to end like this."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033
