Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocka collapsed on the pool deck following her Olympics qualifying race in Paris.
Potocka, 21, competed in one of the five heats for the women’s 200-meter individual medley on Friday, August 2. After the race concluded and the swimmers left the water, Potocka fell to the ground. An Olympics broadcast showed Potocka receiving immediate first aid, which included an oxygen mask, before being carried out of La Défense Arena on a stretcher.
According to the Associated Press, poolside medical personnel indicated that she was conscious at the scene.
The Slovakian Olympic team later confirmed to The Athletic that Potocka suffered an asthma attack. She received oxygen therapy and was taken to the hospital. Per the team officials, Potocka will continue to be monitored by medical staff.
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Fellow athlete Lea Polonsky, who represented Israel in a different women’s 200-meter individual medley heat, later told reporters that swimmers like Potocka know their sport has certain risks.
“Of course, that’s something in the back of your mind, but we do every day push ourselves to the limit,” Polonsky, 22, said on Friday. “You always know something like that can happen. It’s not something you think about during the race, but it’s always there.
Ahead of Friday’s race, Potocka documented her Olympic experience and opening ceremony outfits via social media. Potocka made her Olympics debut at the Paris Games, which officially kicked off July 26. On Friday, she finished seventh in her medley heat with a time of 2 minutes and 14.20 seconds. The position was not fast enough to advance to the event semifinal race.
Potocka is an event specialist, only competing in the women’s 200-meter individual medley in Paris. She was previously a four-time finalist at the 2024 European Championships.
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There are five heats in the women’s 200-meter individual medley, leading into a semifinal and final race. The United States has Kate Douglass and Alexandra Walsh competing. Douglass, 22, won her first gold medal in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke on Thursday, August 1.
“The mood is great, the vibes are great. We’re very proud of ourselves and proud of how we’ve done,” Douglass gushed to reporters of her and the rest of Team USA’s overall podium placements. “Winning the 200 breaststroke has been a goal for a few months now.”
Walsh, 23, has yet to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.
