An American technical and synchronized swimming coach swam into the pool on Wednesday to save one of her drowned swimmers after she died during the world championships in Budapest.
Anita Alvarez held her breath after performing in the final of the synchronized freestyle singles swim, and sank to the bottom of the pool. Then Andrea Fuentes jumped into the water to save her.
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“We were very scared. I had to jump because the rescuers didn’t,” Fuentes told the Spanish newspaper. Brand.
France Press agency
Fuentes, in shorts and a T-shirt, descended to the bottom of the pool and lifted Alvarez to the surface before receiving help to carry the struggling swimmer to the edge of the pool.
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“I was afraid because I saw that she was not breathing, but now she is fine,” Fuentes reassured.
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Alvarez’s stretcher was taken to the poolside medical center, shocking his colleagues and viewers.
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The US swimming team has released a reassuring statement about Alvarez’s health.
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Fuentes, the quadruple Olympic medalist, explained to a Spanish radio that her swimmer became unwell due to the exertion during her performance.
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“The water was just in her lungs, and as soon as she started breathing again, everything was fine,” she added. “It felt like it went on for a whole hour. I said things were wrong, I shouted to the lifeguards to get into the water, but they didn’t hear what I said or didn’t understand.”
She also said, “She wasn’t breathing (…) I went as fast as I could, as if it was an Olympic final.”
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According to his coach, Alvarez planned to rest on Thursday and still hopes to compete in the team event on Friday after the medical.
At 25, Alvarez is participating in his third world championship. She had already passed out several times during the qualifying rounds at last year’s Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Listen to Alexandre Moranville’s comment on QUB Radio: