shallow water blackout 'a risk in every aquatic sport'

“i remember feeling like it was a really great performance,” alvarez told nbc nightly news . ” … and then i remember going down and just being, kind of like, uh oh, like, i don’t feel too great, and that’s literally the last thing i remember.”

in a video rapidly spread across the internet, alvarez’s coach andrea fuentes dove into the water to bring the swimmer to the surface. a lifeguard then joined fuentes, helping to take alvarez to the side of the pool where a team helped get her onto a stretcher.

“i think she was at least two minutes without breathing because her lungs were full of water,” fuentes said, according to yahoo! sport . “she vomited the water, coughed and that was it, but it was a big scare.”

shallow water blackout a risk in every aquatic sport

shallow water blackout , also known as hypoxic blackout, occurs when an individual holds their breath for too long, often during bouts of physical activity. before going underwater for an extended period of time, swimmers will often take deep breaths to try and get enough air to tide them over. if they over-breathe or hyperventilate, however, carbon dioxide levels in the blood can drop. this is dangerous because that feeling of “ i need to breathe ” is triggered by the buildup of carbon dioxide — having artificially low levels means the athlete may not realize they’ve run out of air and can pass out while still in the water.

alvarez “feeling good”

alvarez was evaluated by medical staff and was “feeling good” after the event, however, she did not compete in the team free event later on in the week.

“we sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports,” fuentes said in a statement posted on the usa artistic swimming instagram . “marathon, cycling, cross-country … we all have seen images where some athletes don’t make it to the finish line and others help them to get there. our sport is no different than others, just in a pool, we push through limits and sometimes we find them. anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is ok.”