Anita Alvarez was performing in the solo free final at the FINA World Championships in Budapest when she sunk to the bottom of the pool.
Watching poolside, coach Andrea Fuentes quickly realised something was amiss and jumped in the pool to save Alvarez.
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“It was a big scare. I had to jump in because the lifeguards weren’t doing it,” she told the Spanish publication MARCA.
“I was scared because I saw she wasn’t breathing, but now she is doing very well.”
“Anita is okay. The doctors checked all vitals and everything is normal: heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure … all is okay.
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“We sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports. Marathons, cycling, cross-country … we all have seen images where some athletes don’t make it to the finish line and others help them get there.
“Our sport is no different than others, (it’s) just in a pool. We push through limits and sometimes we find them. Anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is okay.
“Tomorrow she will rest all day and will decide with the doctor if she can swim free team finals or not. Thank you for all of your well wishes for Anita.”
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