HARTFORD, Conn. — Once again, Danell Leyva’s Olympic preparations included an unexpected trip to the hospital.

The reigning Olympic bronze all-around medalist was left with several gaping wounds in his left leg — including one close to his Achilles tendon — and some smaller bites on his hands after he tried separating two of his family’s dogs last month.

“I had a dog on my leg and I was like, `Really??? Now???’” Leyva said Thursday after training at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. “It was crazy. But, whatever.”

Leyva was bit by the same dogs four years ago as he was preparing for the American Cup, an international meet that is often an early indicator of who will be on the Olympic podium. He got 80 stitches around his right ear and had them removed right before the meet, which he won.

The dogs, both American bulldogs, were put down after the most recent fight.

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Leyva said he probably wouldn’t have gone near the fighting dogs except his mother was nearby and he didn’t want them turning on her. He had managed to get the dogs separated and was backing away when one clamped onto his leg.

By the time he got away, he had more than a half-dozen bites. Doctors didn't want to risk infection so they didn't stitch the wounds closed. Instead, Leyva said they cleaned the wounds with saline water and then bandaged them with viscopaste, a gauze that contains zinc to speed healing.

While most of the wounds were deep, Leyva said he was lucky because the one on his left calf was just above his Achilles and a group on the inside of his leg just missed the muscle. Had the Achilles or muscle been damaged, Leyva's chances for Rio could have been ruined.

Instead, he was able to continue training, only having to take some extra caution with his landings on floor exercise and vault.

“He did what he needed to do,” said Yin Alvarez, Leyva’s stepfather and coach. “That’s how Dani is.”