American swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued dramatically by her coach, Andrea Fuentes when she lost her consciousness and sank to the bottom of the swimming pool during her solo free final match at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest on Thursday. Alvarez, who was performing very well in the global swimming competition, fainted suddenly while competing in her solo free final match. Her coach, Fuentes, acted quickly after realizing the grave situation and dived to rescue her pupil. The American swimming coach pulled Alvarez up to the surface from the pool. The 25-year-old Mexican American swimmer, who was competing in her third world swimming championships, was facing breathing problems before going into the final contest. World Swimming Championship 2022: Canada’s Summer McIntosh Breaks World Junior Record; U.S. Bag Women’s 4x200m Relay.
After the dramatic rescue of Alvarez from the swimming pool, she was taken quickly to the medical care unit for treatment. However, Team USA are hopeful of her quick return to the competition as they released a statement afterwards stating the swimmer is recovering well.
“It was a very big scare for her and us,” Fuentes, who is a successful former swimmer with four Olympic medals, told Marca after the incident. “I was scared because she was not breathing. But, she is now doing well. I hope she will compete in Friday’s event.”
Rescue Act
Rapid rescue.@AFP photographers Oli Scarff and Peter Kohalmi capture the dramatic rescue of USA’s Anita Alvarez from the bottom of the pool when she fainted during the women’s solo free artistic swimming finals at the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships pic.twitter.com/8Y0wo6lSUn
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 23, 2022
However, it was not the first incident of Alvarez losing consciousness in the swimming pool. According to various reports, the American swimmer also fainted similarly in an Olympic qualifier in Spain last year. Her trainer Fuentes had to rescue her from sinking to the bottom of the pool like this time.
(The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Jun 23, 2022 03:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).
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