Team USA Swimmer Rescued By Coach After Fainting in Pool During World Championships: Anita Alvarez, a two-time Olympian for the United States of America, passed out while competing in the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, and Team USA coach Andrea Fuentes dove into the water to save her.
When Olympian Anita Alvarez seemed to pass out in the water during the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, the situation took a frightening turn.
On June 22, a 26-year-old member of the United States Artistic Swimming Team was saved from drowning by her swimming coach, Andrea Fuentes, who dove into the water to save her.
After completing her solo free routine in Budapest, Hungary, Alvarez was seen floating toward the bottom of the pool, as if she were unconscious, in the photographs that were taken during the critical juncture that ultimately saved her life. Courageously jumping into the pool, Fuentes—who had previously won four Olympic medals for Spain in synchronized swimming—was photographed subsequently lifting the swimmer to the top of the water after heroically rescuing him. According to the official website for the Olympic Games, the coach and another guy who remained anonymous then carried Alvarez to the edge of the pool, where she received medical assistance before being transported away on a stretcher.
An update on Anita’s condition was provided by Fuentes in a statement that was published on the Instagram page for USA Artistic Swimming on June 22.
“We sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports,” she noted. “There are a lot of different kinds of endurance sports.” “We have all seen pictures of athletes competing in a marathon, a bicycle race, or a cross-country run in which some competitors do not cross the finish line while others assist those competitors in doing so. The only difference between our sport and others is that it takes place in a pool; however, we still strive to test our limits and, occasionally, we succeed.”
The head coach continued, “Now that Anita is feeling better, the doctors are reporting that she should be fine. She plans to sleep for the entirety of tomorrow and then consult with the physician to see whether or not she will be able to compete in the free team finals. Anita expresses her gratitude for everyone’s kind words and wishes.”
