Russian Olympic Swimmer Stabbed During Street Fight

Olympic gold-medal swimmer Alexander Popov was in intensive care Sunday after being stabbed in the stomach during a street fight with a group of watermelon vendors.

After emergency surgery overnight, doctors at Clinical Hospital No. 31 said the Russian swimmer’s condition was still “grave and unstable” but added that his lung - pierced along with a kidney - was functioning almost as well as before the attack.

Popov regained consciousness soon after the operation.

“First of all, I want to thank the doctors who did the operation. There’s no need to worry. I’m going to be walking soon - and swimming,” the 24-year-old told NTV television from his hospital bed, looking weak and with a bandage around his head but smiling.

Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency said Popov was attacked in southwestern Moscow at 11 p.m. Saturday while escorting a woman. The agency said police did not yet know why he got into the fight.