Meanwhile, ripples spread as international
swimming governing body FINA and the Hungarian authorities responded after a
competitor nearly drowned at a crowded and well-staff pool.
Coach Andrea Fuentes had to leap in to
rescue Alvarez, who had sunk to the bottom of the pool and was not breathing
after passing out at the conclusion of her routine during Wednesday night's
solo free final.
"Anita is doing fine and taking today
to rest. She has been fully evaluated by both our team doctor and event medical
staff. She currently has one final event left to participate in at the 2022
World Championships, and she will decide if she feels up to compete tomorrow if
she is cleared medically," said Alyssa Jacobs, spokeswoman for the team.
The 25-year-old Alvarez is in the US team
for the Team Free Final on Friday.
"This happened to her once last year
at the Olympic Qualification Tournament when competing her duet," said
Jacobs. "Prior to that, she has had sporadic issues with fainting but
never in competition."
On Wednesday, Fuentes, dressed in shorts
and a T-shirt, dived to the bottom of the pool and dragged Alvarez to the
surface.
"It was a big scare. I had to jump in
because the lifeguards weren't doing it," Fuentes was reported as saying
by Spanish media.
"When I saw her sinking, I looked at
the rescuers, but I saw that they were stunned. They didn't react."
"I thought, 'Will you jump in now?' My
reflexes kicked in."
On Thursday, Bela Merkely, the head of the
Hungarian medical service, told local media that staff had followed
"extremely strict FINA rules" that "determine when lifeguards
can intervene."
'Sensing the danger'
"Under the rules, members of the
judges panel delegated by FINA may jump into the pool to signal that a
competition program may be interrupted due to any incident," Merkely said.
"No such signal was received from the
judges during Wednesday's final, and no matter if a coach signals to them, they
are not allowed to intervene."
"After the coach jumped into the pool
at her own risk, the local lifeguards, sensing the danger....decided to
intervene immediately, so the American competitor finally got out of the pool
with their help."
FINA also pointed out that the incident had
ended well.
"FINA has been in close contact with
Anita Alvarez, her team and the medical staff following a medical emergency
during the solo free final of the artistic swimming," it said in a
statement. "Ms Alvarez was immediately treated by a medical team in the
venue and is in good health."
Alvarez was taken on a stretcher to the
pool's medical centre, with teammates and fans appearing to be in shock
poolside, with some in tears consoling each other.
"I think she was at least two minutes
without breathing because her lungs were full of water," said Fuentes, a
four-time Olympic artistic swimming medallist.
"She vomited the water, coughed, and
that was it, but it was a big scare."
Alvarez scored enough from the judges to
finish seventh in the 12-woman final.
The USA artistic team released a statement
from Fuentes on Thursday morning, saying Alvarez had fainted due to the effort
expended during the routine.
"We sometimes forget that this happens
in other high-endurance sports. Marathon, cycling, cross country ...our sport
is no different than others, just in a pool, we push through limits, and
sometimes we find them."
"Anita feels good now, and the doctors
also say she is OK."
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