2023-07-18 17:36:43
Fainting and sinking to the bottom of a swimming pool would scare the majority of people, but not one artistic swimmer, who came back strong a year later to climb twice the podium at the Aquatic Worlds, currently presented in Japan.
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American Anita Alvarez lost consciousness at the end of her solo routine at the World Championships in Budapest in 2022. Seeing the body of her protege sink, trainer and former Spanish champion Andrea Fuentes dived without hesitation to rescue her . A man had also jumped into the water to help bring Alvarez to the surface.
Underwater footage of the rescue had gone viral – AFP photographer Oli Scarff won best news photo at the British Sports Journalism Awards – and Fuentes had become an instant hero. But she had rather paid tribute to artistic swimmers, “who are not Barbies”, but “superheroes” when they hold their breath for long seconds, if not minutes, before providing sustained physical effort.
The artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez had lost consciousness and her trainer Andrea Fuentes rescued her, in 2022, in Hungary. Photo archives, AFP
Two minutes without breathing
Unconscious for about two minutes, Alvarez had regained her senses, and her vital signs, including her oxygen levels, were normal, according to Fuentes. His heart had never stopped beating. The athlete had subsequently wanted to participate in the team competition, but the International Swimming Federation (FINA) had prohibited him from doing so.
It was not the first time that Fuentes saved his protege. A year earlier, during an Olympic qualifier in Barcelona, Alvarez had also passed out in a pool.
She had also had “sporadic problems with fainting, but never in competition,” the United States Swimming Federation said at the time.
“She’s a sportswoman who likes to push her limits, but this time she went too far,” Fuentes admitted.
A man had helped Andrea Fuentes bring Anita Alvarez to the surface of the water. Photo archives, AFP
The music of Michael Jackson
This time in Fukuoka, the 26-year-old American pulled herself together as she helped her country win silver in Monday’s aerobatic team event in which China triumphed, as well as bronze in the technical competition. by team on Tuesday, behind Spain and Italy. The United States also wowed the gallery by performing on the song Smooth Criminal de Michael Jackson.
These were the first two medals for Alvarez at the Worlds, she who has still failed to reach the podium in two appearances at the Olympics.
The American artistic swimmers crunch in their bronze medal, won on July 18, 2023 in the technical team event at the World Aquatics, in Japan. Photo: AFP
“The next time she competes in a world championship, part of her will struggle, but that’s where my job and that of the psychologist comes in, to give her confidence in her body,” had mentioned Fuentes to the Spanish newspaper Brand after the rescue in Hungary.
It is clear that the trainer took up the challenge hands down. And Alvarez could even add a third charm to his collection in the team free contest, the preliminaries of which take place on Wednesday and the final on Friday.
Her 19-year-old teammate Jaime Czarkowski, who was born in Calgary and raised in Alberta, will also get her hands on her third Worlds medal.
The Americans in action during the team technical final at the World Aquatics in Japan. Photo: AFP
Canadian results
As for Canada, the Laurianne Imbeau, Raphaëlle Plante, Florence Tremblay and company had ranked 14th in their technical routine on Saturday, failing to qualify for the final, reserved for the 12 best teams.
Then, the representatives of the maple leaf, which also included Quebecer Kiara Quieti, had obtained sixth place in the acrobatic competition on Monday.
– with AFP
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