Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocka collapsed after her women’s 200-meter individual medley heat at the Paris Olympics due to an asthma attack, according to a team spokesman. The incident occurred poolside on Friday morning following the qualifying race.
Potocka, aged 21, immediately received first aid and was carried off on a stretcher while wearing an oxygen mask. Medical personnel at the scene confirmed she was conscious at the time of her evacuation. “She was transferred to the hospital in the Olympic Village, and our team doctor is waiting for her there,” stated Lubomír Souek, a spokesman for the Slovakia Olympic Committee, during a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
The swimmer had just exited the pool when she collapsed and was quickly surrounded by medical attendants. Within about a minute, they placed her on a stretcher and removed her from the pool deck. It remains unclear whether she received CPR during this emergency response.
Lea Polonsky, an Israeli swimmer who competed shortly after Potocka, reflected on the risks of competitive swimming. “We push ourselves to the limit every day, and although it’s something we are aware of, it isn’t something we think about during a race,” she said.
This year marked Potocka’s Olympic debut. She resides in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Potocka finished seventh in her heat with a time of 2 minutes, 14.20 seconds, which was not sufficient to advance her to the semifinals, thereby ending her participation in the event.
