Olympic Swimmer Tamara Potocka Collapses, Carried Away On A Stretcher After Women’s 200-Meter Race
Tamara Potocka, a swimmer from Slovakia participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, needed medical attention shortly after finishing the Women's 200-Meter individual medley.
Upon completing the Women's 200-Meter individual medley, the 21-year-old collapsed after exiting the pool. She was treated by medical staff near poolside on Friday.
According to the 'Associated Press,' the Slovak swinner was quickly surrounded by medical personnel, received first aid, and was taken away on a stretcher.
A representative from the Slovak Olympic Team in Paris stated the incident was triggered by an asthma attack.
"Tamara Potocka is an asthmatic," the representative told 'E! News' in a statement. "In the medical room she received an oxygen therapy and during this procedure she communicated. Now she will be monitored by doctors in hospital for some time."
The occurrence happened during a live broadcast, leaving the audience, commentators, and officials in shock, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
"Fifteen thousand people are now watching an athlete surrounded by medical staff," a commentator remarked, according to the publication, "And I can assure you it's absolutely silent in here. They've got a stretcher out, they've got an oxygen mask on the athlete, and I'm going to say... this looks very serious."
He added: "We hope that there's nothing more than that."
Potocka, who holds the Slovakian record for the 50m butterfly and the 200m individual medley, placed seventh in her heat with a time of 2 minutes, 14.20 seconds. This result does not qualify her for the event semifinals.