American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued by her coach Andrea Fuentes after she lost consciousness at the conclusion of her solo routine at the world aquatic championships in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday.
Fuentes made the quick decision to jump into the water after noticing Alvarez sink to the bottom of the pool at the end of her routine. The four-time Olympic medalist in synchronized swimming lifted Alvarez to the surface before she received medical attention on the deck of the pool. Fuentes told CNN later Thursday that Alvarez was doing “really good.”
This is not the first time Fuentes has rescued Alvarez. At an Olympic qualification event in Spain last June, Alvarez lost consciousness at the end of her pairs routine, before Fuentes came to her aid.
“Anita suffered another medical emergency, similar to last year at qualifiers, at the conclusion of her swim,” Fuentes said in a statement. “We’ll provide an update from Anita when she has had the chance to rest and be fully evaluated by medical staff. Until then, we are celebrating seven amazing performances by her across five days of competition.”
Alvarez, 25, is a two-time Olympian (2016, 2020) and is competing in her fourth world championships.
(Photo: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today)
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