Hungary downplays fainting incident

BUDAPEST • The Hungarian authorities on Thursday defended the lifeguards at the swimming world championships, saying that they are not allowed to intervene in rescue attempts before governing body Fina gives the green light.

On Wednesday, the United States' artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez went "at least two minutes without breathing" after she fainted and dropped to the bottom of the pool during her solo free final, but was saved by her quick-thinking coach Andrea Fuentes who dived in instead.

She was then treated by a medical team and a team spokesman said afterwards she was fine after tests. The 25-year-old did not take part in yesterday's team free final, which was won by China, ahead of Ukraine and Japan. The Americans finished ninth.

The local organisers and Fina both came under fire after lifeguards were accused of not reacting quick enough to the incident.

However, Bela Merkely, the head of the Hungarian medical service, said staff had followed "extremely strict Fina rules" that "determine when lifeguards can intervene".

"Under the rules, members of the judges' panel delegated by Fina may jump into the pool to signal that a competition programme may be interrupted due to any incident," he said. "No such signal was received from the judges during Wednesday's final, and no matter if a coach signals to them they are not allowed to intervene.

"After the coach jumped into the pool at her own risk, the local lifeguards, sensing the danger, decided to intervene immediately, so the American competitor finally got out of the pool with their help."

Fina did not comment at length, simply pointing out that the incident had ended well.

"Fina has been in close contact with Anita Alvarez, her team and the medical staff following a medical emergency," it said.

"Ms Alvarez was immediately treated by a medical team in the venue and is in good health."

It was not the first time she had passed out in competition. She had a similar reaction in an Olympic qualifier in Barcelona last year.

Previously called synchronised swimming until it was renamed in 2017, artistic swimming has witnessed many fainting incidents.

At the 2008 Olympics, Japan's Hiromi Kobayashi also had to be helped out of the pool after apparently fainting after the team final.

The issue had been scrutinised in a number of studies in the past, some going back to 2010.

One paper by the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education revealed that four of six of the 13-15-year-old female swimmers it analysed required rescue, after developing symptoms such as "fatigue, inability to move legs, disorientation, tunnel vision, and/or loss of consciousness".

Concussion is also a problem as athletes risk being hit by flailing legs in training and in competition as the sport requires them to be close together during team events.

Artistic swimming has quickly become one of the most physically demanding sports at the Olympics, with athletes training up to 10 hours a day, often six times a week.

"Whenever anyone who doesn't know about our sport hears what our daily training is, they think we're insane," Alvarez said last year. "Just knowing what we do in a day alone is enough to see how intense and really difficult it is."

In pool training, artistic swimmers constantly work on their routines in order to achieve perfection and these include lifts, throws and somersaults, as well as synchronised feet movements.

They also learn proper breathing techniques as they sometimes hold their breath for three to four minutes during competitions.

There is a risk of hypoxia - a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply - when athletes hold their breath for too long. That, on top of the intensity of their routines, have resulted in many athletes fainting during performances.

Training also does not end in the pool. In this "brutal" sport, as described by the Daily Mail, athletes are also required to include pilates, weights, strength conditioning, ballet, gymnastics and dance in their training plans.

An NBC report also stated that artistic swimming is essentially a sport that combines "the strength and power of weightlifters, the speed and lung capacity of distance swimmers, the flexibility and skill of gymnasts and the ability to perform in perfect sync with the music and each other".

"All while making it look easy - and without ever touching the bottom of the pool," it added.

Goggles are also banned as competitors are critiqued on presentation and maintaining eye contact with judges as well.

"Imagine... while underwater, chlorine in your eyes, holding your breath and trying to be in line with seven of your other colleagues," said Kim Davis, president of Artistic Swimming Australia.

In this sport, you either sync or sink.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE