Olympic Swimmer Has a Scary Ending to Her Race

Slovakia's Tamara Potocka, 21, suffered apparent asthma attack, collapsed after emerging from pool
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 2, 2024 10:29 AM CDT
Olympic Swimmer Emerges From Pool, Collapses
Slovakia's Tamara Potocka is taken on a stretcher from the pool deck after collapsing following a heat in the women's 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday in Nanterre, France.   (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocka collapsed poolside Friday morning after a qualifying heat of the women's 200-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympics. Potocka, 21, collapsed as she got out of the water and almost immediately was surrounded by a half-dozen medical attendants, who put her on a stretcher after about a minute and carried her off the pool deck, per the AP. First aid was administered to Potocka, who was seen wearing an oxygen mask as she was taken away for medical attention.

Medical personal at the pool said she was conscious. Slovakian officials later said that Potocka had suffered an asthma attack, reports ESPN. "Tamara has asthma," Slovakian team leader Ivana Lange said in a statement. "This whole combination of nervous and physical tension while she did not have her inhaler immediately available to use contributed to the creation of this problem." Lange added that Potocka was given oxygen and necessary meds, and that "the doctor told me that she must be monitored for several more hours."

Israeli swimmer Leah Polonsky, who swam two heats after Potocka, said swimmers know their sport has inherent risks. "Of course that's something in the back of your mind, but we do every day push ourselves to the limit," she noted, per the AP. "You always know something like that can happen. It's not something you think about during the race, but it's always there." This is the first Olympics for Potocka, who finished seventh in her heat in a time of 2 minutes, 14.2 seconds. Her time wasn't fast enough to advance her to the semifinals of the event, which eliminated her from the competition.

(More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)

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