2012 Olympian Clark Burckle Undergoes Successful Surgery To Remove Tumor

U.S. Olympian Clark Burckle has declared himself tumor-free after undergoing surgery to remove an acoustic neuroma in late March.

An acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous and usually slow-growing tumor that develops on the main (vestibular) nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain.

Burckle, 35, posted on social media Tuesday that the procedure had gone well, and his fiancée, current professional Mallory Comerford, echoed that sentiment by indicating the two were able to head home to Louisville. The procedure was done at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mallory Comerford (@malcomerford)

Comerford revealed Burckle’s diagnosis on social media in late March, announcing the tumor had been discovered at the end of November and that she and Burckle had been researching treatment options in the time since. He went into surgery on March 27, according to Comerford’s post.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an acoustic neuroma can cause hearing loss, ringing in your ear, unsteadiness, dizziness, and facial numbness. If it goes untreated for an extended period of time, it can result in total hearing loss.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mallory Comerford (@malcomerford)

Burckle and Comerford have been dating since 2019 and announced their engagement in September of last year.

Both have experienced plenty of success in the pool, with Burckle having represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, finishing sixth in the men’s 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:09.25.

A native of Lousiville, Ky., Burckle was also the 2010 NCAA champion in the 200 breast, competing for the University of Arizona as a senior after starting his collegiate career at Florida. He has since completed his MBA at Stanford and gone on to find success in the business world, currently managing a swim, tennis and fitness club in the Louisville area.

Comerford, 25, broke through on the global swimming scene in 2017, winning five relay gold medals at that year’s World Championships in Budapest. She also tied with Katie Ledecky for the 2017 NCAA title in the women’s 200 free while representing the University of Louisville, and has become a fixture on U.S. National Teams ever since.

After failing to earn a spot on the 2021 U.S. Olympic team, Comerford bounced back by qualifying for the 2022 World Championship team, winning a bronze medal as a member of the women’s 400 free relay.