21-year-old Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocká collapses and is carried off on a stretcher in front of shocked spectators and her British rival after completing the Olympic 200m medley
- Moments after swimming, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground
Slovakian athlete Tamara Potocká fainted after swimming this morning at the Olympic Games. Spectators at the swimming pool in Paris were shocked as she was rushed away on a stretcher.
The 21-year-old competed in a heat of the women’s 200m medley at 10:30 (BST) this morning. When she emerged from the pool, she finished seventh, missing out on qualification for the later rounds.
But a moment later her legs gave out and she fell to the ground. She managed to stay seated for a few seconds before falling backwards.
Potocká was found in distress at the edge of the pool, while eight other swimmers were preparing for the next series. Until the organizers realized something was wrong and medical personnel arrived on the scene.
Doctors quickly placed an oxygen mask on the face of the young Slovakian, who lay motionless on the ground, before carefully placing her on a stretcher and quickly carrying her out of the La Defense arena as her British rival Abbie Wood looked on in horror.
Slovakia’s Tamara Potocka is carried off the pool deck on a stretcher after collapsing during a heat of the women’s 200-meter medley at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024.
After Potocká’s swim, no one seemed to be aware for a moment that the Slovakian athlete was in trouble.
The live broadcast showed the contestants for the next series dragging themselves to the pool and stripping naked. It looked like they would be jumping in the water in seconds, while commentators gave a sneak preview of the competition.
But when the camera went back, it showed that Potocká, dressed in a blue skating suit, had not left the location and was sitting just a few meters from the edge of the pool. He was clearly quite tired.
She was still there when the swimmers of the next series took their places. A few seconds later she fell backwards and was found lying on the tiles.
Commentators noticed something was wrong when the next heat was postponed and medical staff rushed to the pools.
“This is not looking good…15,000 people are watching an athlete surrounded by medical personnel and I can tell you it is deathly quiet in here,” an announcer said as he watched medical personnel crowd around the swimmer.
“They brought in a stretcher, they gave the athlete an oxygen mask and I think it looks very serious,” he said.
“They have the neck brace on hand, so I can imagine someone hit their head and suffered some trauma. They want to immobilize the athlete as quickly as possible.
“We hope there is nothing more than that…”
After a tense thirty minutes, the venue’s media manager confirmed that Potocká was conscious and under medical examination, but he gave no further update on her condition.
