America’s Cup-winning skipper James Spithill reveals bacterial infection nearly took his arm

TWO-TIME America’s Cup-winning skipper James Spithill revealed that a bacterial infection picked up following elbow surgery almost had disastrous consequences.

Olympic gold medallist Mack Horton with James Spithill.

AUSTRALIA’S two-time America’s Cup winning skipper James Spithill almost lost his left arm to a shocking bacterial infection picked up following surgery this year.

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Spithill has revealed he had only been off antibiotics for three weeks after being attacked by the potentially career-ending infection he believes he picked up from the water while racing.

“I nearly lost my arm to it so I am pretty lucky,’’ said Spithill, who heads up Larry Ellison’s Oracle America’s Cup campaign.

“It’s called Pseudomonas and it has been known to take limbs. They said at one stage I could have lost my arm.’’

Spithill, Australia’s greatest America’s Cup sailor who is based in Bermuda most of the year, underwent surgery mid-year to repair damage to his elbow.

But he admits he rushed his recovery which was then set further back when he contracted the infection.

Olympic gold medallist Mack Horton with James Spithill.

It was so severe Spithill was invited to move into the home of Dr Robert Bray, a top brain and spinal surgeon in the US, who monitored him for 10 weeks.

“I had to have an IV in the morning and afternoon to get the antibiotics into me,’’ Spithill said.

“If it wasn’t for Rob I’m not sure where it was going.

“I’ve certainly learned my lesson about needing to be patient about these things.’’

Spithill, who says his arm is “as good as new’’, is in Australia to visit family on Sydney’s northern beaches ahead of next year’s America’s Cup in Bermuda.

Spithill orchestrated one of the greatest comebacks in world sport to win the 34th America’s Cup from 8-1 down in 2013.

While he won the Sydney to Hobart last year aboard Comanche, the US supermaxi hasn’t returned to Australia to defend her title.

Spithill has a knack of picking some of the worst weather in which to compete in the Sydney to Hobart. One of his first races was the deadly 1998 edition which claimed the lives of six sailors.

Last year he and the crew on Comanche had to survive a boat-breaking storm the first night at sea to claim line honours.

“If you ever want to have a great, fast Hobart, make sure I’m not doing it,’’ Spithill said.