American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez was in danger of drowning after losing consciousness in the pool at the world championships in Budapest on Wednesday before being rescued by her coach Andrea Fuentes.
Spaniard Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medallist in synchronised swimming, jumped into the pool after she saw Alvarez sink to the bottom at the end of her solo free final routine.
She was given medical attention beside the pool before being taken away on a stretcher.
As the American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez fainted and sank toward the bottom of the pool at the world championships, her coach Andrea Fuentes made a split-second decision: She dove in to save her.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 23, 2022
Alvarez is doing "fine" now, her coach said. https://t.co/w5b9w4t1Iz pic.twitter.com/msOBUa3PY7
It was the second time Fuentes has had to rescue Alvarez after she leapt into the pool during an Olympic qualification event last year and pulled her to safety along with the American's swim partner Lindi Schroeder.
"Anita is much better, she is already at her best. It was a good scare, to be honest," Fuentes told Spanish newspaper Marca on Wednesday.
An incredible photo by AFP photographer @oliscarff shows artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez being rescued by her coach Andrea Fuentes after fainting at #FINABudapest2022.
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) June 23, 2022
The US swim team later released a statement saying Alvarez was doing well. pic.twitter.com/wJWJ1Z94V4
"I jumped into the water again because I saw that no one, no lifeguard, was jumping in. I got a little scared because she wasn't breathing, but now she's fine. She has to rest."
In a statement on the U.S. Artistic Swimming Instagram page, Fuentes said 25-year-old Alvarez would be assessed by doctors on Thursday before a decision was made on her participation in Friday's team event.
Rapid rescue.@AFP photographers Oli Scarff and Peter Kohalmi capture the dramatic rescue of USA's Anita Alvarez from the bottom of the pool when she fainted during the women's solo free artistic swimming finals at the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships pic.twitter.com/8Y0wo6lSUn
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 23, 2022
