Anita Alvarez from USA Artistic Swimming has spoken out after fainting while performing at the Budapest World Championships.
In an Instagram post, the athlete stated that she would provide “a brief update soon.”
“But in the meantime know that I am okay and healthy!” Alvarez said she was grateful for all the support and reminded everyone she and her team still have two days of competition left in Budapest that they need to stay focused on.
She said that she wanted people to understand that USA Artistic Swimming was a serious sport and that they have a job to do.
This is after Andrea Fuentes (head coach) dived into the pool to save the Olympian on Wednesday.
After fainting, Alvarez sunk to the bottom of the pool during a solo free routine that she told NBC’s “Nightly News” on Thursday was her best performance “by far.”
“And then, at the very end, I do remember, like, the very last arm I did … It’s such a simple small arm, that I was like, ‘give everything until the very end.’ And, I did that. And then, I remember going down and just being … kinda like, ‘Uh oh.’ Like, “I don’t feel too great.’ And, that’s the last thing I remember, actually,” she said.
Fuentes also shared her statement with USA Artistic swimming. Fuentes stated that Alvarez was fine and that all vitals had been checked by doctors to make sure that everything was normal.
It happens in all high-endurance sports, but we sometimes forget it. We push beyond our limits and sometimes we find them. Anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is okay. 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 good wishes for Anita,” she wrote.
Alvarez’s mother stated that she had witnessed it happen to her daughter before, but never during competition.
Fuentes stated that it was her finest performance and that she pushed herself to the limit.
The swimmer finished seventh in Wednesday’s individual final.
AFP reported Alvarez wasn’t on Friday’s revised start list.
