Coach dives into pool to rescue American swimmer at World Championships
Coach Andrea Fuentes jumped into the pool after she noticed the 25-year-old inventive swimmer sink to the underside on the finish of her routine within the girls’s solo free occasion on Wednesday.
Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medalist in synchronized swimming, lifted Alvarez to the floor earlier than serving to carry her to the sting of the pool.
Alvarez, who competed on the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, acquired medical consideration beside the pool, Reuters reported, and was subsequently carried off in a stretcher.
It was the second time Fuentes has needed to rescue Alvarez, in accordance with Reuters, after she leapt into the pool throughout an Olympic qualification occasion final yr and pulled her to security, together with the American’s swim associate Lindi Schroeder.
She stated: “When a swimmer finishes their routine, the very first thing they need to do is breathe and so I noticed that as an alternative of going up, she was taking place and I informed myself, ‘One thing is occurring,’ and I referred to as for the lifeguards, like, ‘Go into the pool, cannot you see she’s taking place within the water?’
“They usually weren’t reacting, so after a few seconds, I went in as quick as I may.
“I do not assume I’ve swum as quick ever earlier than, even once I obtained Olympic medals and effectively, in the long run, I used to be capable of get her up and he or she wasn’t respiratory … In the long run, all the things got here out OK.”
The Worldwide Swimming Federation (FINA) — the game’s governing physique — didn’t instantly reply to CNN’s request for a touch upon the velocity of the rescue.
However in an announcement to CNN on Thursday, FINA stated it had been involved with Alvarez, her group and medical workers following what it described as a “medical emergency.”
“Ms. Alvarez was instantly handled by a medical group within the venue and is in good well being,” the assertion learn.
In an announcement on the US Creative Swimming Instagram web page, Fuentes stated Alvarez would relaxation on Thursday and seek the advice of her physician to see if she can be match to compete within the swim free group finals, that are scheduled to happen Friday, in accordance with FINA.
“We typically neglect that this occurs in different high-endurance sports activities. Marathon, biking, cross nation … all of us have seen photos the place some athletes do not make it to the end line and others assist them to get there,” Fuentes added.
“Our sport is not any completely different than others, simply in a pool, we push via limits and typically we discover them. Anita feels good now and the medical doctors additionally say she is okay.”
Alvarez — USA’s 2021 Creative Swimming Athlete of the 12 months — completed seventh. Japan’s Yukiko Inui claimed gold, whereas Ukrainian Marta Fiedina and Evangelia Platanioti of Greece got here second and third respectively.
Born in Kenmore, NY, Alvarez competed on the 2012 US Olympic trials, aged 14. 4 years later, she made the group, ending ninth within the duet at Rio 2016. She was thirteenth in the identical occasion at Tokyo 2020.