Sergio Lopez Coached Saturday Finals With A Fractured Tibia (Video)

2020 WOMEN’S ACC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 19th to Saturday, February 22nd | Prelims 10:00 am | Finals 6:00 pm (1650 prelims Saturday at 4:00 pm)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: North Carolina State University (NC State) (1x) (results)
• Streaming: ACC Network
  • Day 2 Finals
  • Day 3 Finals
  • Day 4 Finals
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results

While swimming is far from an injury-free sport, breaks and sprains are relatively uncommon, and rarer-still are coaches the injured party.

On Saturday, February 22nd shortly before the afternoon heats of the women’s 1650 dove in at the 2020 ACC Championships in Greensboro, NC, Virginia Tech Head Coach Sergio Lopez slipped and fell, injuring his right lower leg in the process. Unable to stand for long periods of time or walk very far, Lopez spent the majority of the Saturday PM session sitting in a chair on the pool deck just behind the Virginia Tech bleachers.

According to Lopez’s Instagram, the injury is a “closed tibial fracture” and will likely require surgery. Even so, Lopez intends to remain in Greensboro to coach the men’s team through their upcoming 2020 ACC Championships, which will kick off with the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays on Wednesday, February 26th at the GAC. Lopez said on Instagram that he will likely have a scooter to aid him on deck throughout the men’s competition, which will wrap up exactly one week after the day of his fall.

With his purpling ankle elevated on a cooler and wrapped with an ice pack, Sergio maintained high spirits and a positive attitude throughout the session and even granted us an interview.

From Coach Lopez’s Instagram:

FINAL SCORES

1. Virginia – 1492.5
2. NC State – 1333
3. Louisville – 1105.5
4. North Carolina – 839
5. Notre Dame – 784
6. Duke – 675.5
7. Florida State – 555
8. Virginia Tech – 469
9. Georgia Tech – 407.5
10. Pitt – 359
11. Miami – 298
12. Boston College – 164