Terrifying Scene Unfolds at Olympic Pool as Swimmer Collapses, Is Removed on Stretcher
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
An Olympic swimmer collapsed on Aug. 2 on the side of the pool and was carried away on a stretcher.
Tamara Potocka of Slovakia was stricken after a qualifying heat in the women’s 200-meter individual medley, according to ESPN.
Potocka was getting out of the pool after the race when she collapsed.
She was immediately surrounded by medical attendants before she was carried away with an oxygen mask over her face.
According to the BBC, Potocka was conscious and able to communicate with medical staff.
Athlete taken off on backboard and apparently getting oxygen. pic.twitter.com/reFmN7kM4J
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 2, 2024
“Tamara has asthma,” Slovakia team leader Ivana Lange said in a statement, ESPN reported.
“This whole combination of nervous and physical tension while she did not have her inhaler immediately available to use contributed to the creation of this problem,” she said.
“She received oxygen and necessary medication. Her condition is constantly monitored. A few minutes ago, the doctor told me that she must be monitored for several more hours,” Lange said.
Slovakia swimmer Tamara Potocka is under medical assessment after collapsing following her women’s 200 meters individual medley heat at the Paris Olympics on Friday, a venue official said.#paris2024 #olympics #swimming #slovakia pic.twitter.com/0bI02Gzfrn
— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) August 2, 2024
Israeli swimmer Lea Polonsky, who swam in a different heat, said swimming at the Olympic level does have risks, according to the Associated Press.
“Of course that’s something in the back of your mind, but we do every day push ourselves to the limit,” Polonsky said.
“You always know something like that can happen. It’s not something you think about during the race, but it’s always there,” she said.
Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocká, 21, collapses and is taken away on a stretcher in front of horrified spectators after finishing her Olympic 200m individual medley heat https://t.co/9CjdYW6RTh pic.twitter.com/dtqC6AyN9a
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 2, 2024
Potocka finished seventh in her heat.
Her time was not fast enough to reach the semifinals, meaning that she is out of the competition.
The Paris Games were the first Olympics in which Potocka competed.
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