Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell 'nearly died' after brain bleed

British Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell has revealed he "nearly died" after suffering a bleed in the brain.

The 44-year-old, who won 4x100 metres relay gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, is recovering in hospital after having a seizure at home, which left him having to be resuscitated.

Campbell said in an interview with BBC Sport that he had suffered a pituitary apoplexy, a bleed into the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.

He said: "I nearly died. You have to give thanks. That is how close it was."

Campbell, who needed a ventilator to breathe, added: "When they first told me I was on a ventilator, I didn't believe them. I've got other people filling in blanks. If you can't breathe by yourself, you are not in a good place.

"I have to be relieved as I nearly died."

Campbell, who also won 200m silver at the 2000 Olympics as well as three World Championship medals, hopes to leave hospital on Tuesday, BBC Sport said.

He added: "The doctors have said if I wasn't so fit, I wouldn't be here. I was always going to fight. As long as the doctors were fighting, I'd fight."