Anita Alvarez: artistic swimmer loses consciousness and rescued after fainting and who is Andrea Fuentes?

The American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued by her Spanish coach Andrea Fuentes after struggling to gain consciousness during the World Championships in Budapest on Wednesday 22 June 2022.

The 25-year-old was competing in the final of the women’s solo free event when the incident occured. She fell unconscious and appeared to sink towards the bottom of the pool.

Fuentes soon dived into the pool, pulling her trainee back to safety along with a male lifeguard.

Alvarez soon regained consciousness and received immediate first aid and is reportedly recovering well from the incident.

The Artistic swimming events are taking place at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships which began on Saturday 18 June 2022 and will conclude on Sunday 3 July 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

Who is Anita Alvarez?

Born in New York in 1996, Alvarez is an artistic and synchronized swimmer who has competed in the women’s duet at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

She is a member of the USA synchronised swimming National Team and competed at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.

Alvarez qualified to represent the USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was named the USA Synchro Athlete of the Year along with Mariya Koroleve in 2016 and 2019.

The Mexican-American was also named the USA’s Artistic Swimming Athletic of the Year in 2021.

This is the second time Alvarez has fainted in the pool during a competition.

Andrea Fuentes came to Alvarez’s aid during the Olympics qualifying event in Barcelona last year.

What has been said?

Speaking on the radio on Wednesday 22 June, Fuentes said she realised something was wrong when Alvarez “went down and didn’t react”.

She said: “When a swimmer finishes, the first thing they want to do is breathe.”

After trying to signal to the lifeguards who failed to see her motions, Fuentes “jumped in myself. I went there as fast as I could. I went in even faster than when I was going for Olympic medals.”

The Spanish coach said Alvarez “was not breathing” when she reached the 25-year-old but after receiving treatment straight away, she soon recovered.

Fuentes also added that Alvarez will rest today, Thursday 23 June 2022, but will soon return to the pool because “she has to swim the final.”

“We have looked at many things and the pressure is good. We’ve done a CT scan on her brain, she’s fine.

“As athletes, we dedicate ourselves to discovering where the limit is and sometimes we find it, and today you have found it, you have gone so far that your body said, girl, don’t ask me anything else.”

What has the USA Artistic swimming said?

Taking to Instagram, the USA artistic swimming team posted: “Watching yesterday’s medical emergency of 2x Olympian Anita Alvarez was heartbreaking for our community.

“Anita gave an exceptionally solo performance and has competed brilliantly in four preliminary and three final competitions across six days of the 2022 final world championship event.

“Anita has been evaluated by medical staff and will continue to be monitored. She is already feeling much better and using today to rest.

“Whether or not she will compete in the free team final on Friday, June 24th will be determined by Anita and expert medical staff.”

When is the artistic swimming final?

The finals of the artistic swimming event are scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday 24 June 2022.