MADRID – Canadian diving veteran Alexandre Despatie reportedly suffered large cut to his head in a diving mishap in Spain, making his status for the London Olympics uncertain.

Various media outlets say the 27-year-old from Laval, Que., was hurt while performing an inward triple flip and struck the board with full force.

Mitch Geller of Diving Canada says Despatie lost his balance and his head hit the end of the springboard, just below the hairline.

Despatie was pulled from the water by lifeguards and his coach, Arturo Miranda, but Geller says the diver did not appear to lose consciousness.

Despatie required surgery to close the wound and is expected to remain in a Madrid hospital under observation for at least 24 hours.

Despatie, who has won two silver medals in previous Olympics, is not expected to compete in the Madrid Grand Prix this weekend, nor an event in Italy next week.

His mother, Christiane, says the cut is about 10 centimetres long.