PHOTOS: US swimmer Anita Alvarez rescued by coach after passing out at world championships

(WIVB) – Anita Alvarez, a two-time Olympian from New York, had a scare Wednesday when she passed out in the pool during the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. But her coach said on social media that Alvarez is doing fine, and has been cleared by doctors.

Alvarez passed out at the end of her solo routine in artistic swimming, formerly known as synchronized swimming. Andrea Fuentes, Alvarez’s coach, jumped in to rescue Alvarez from the bottom of the pool, lifting her to the surface. Another person helped Fuentes lift the swimmer out of the water, before she was placed on a stretcher.

“Anita’s solo was so good too, it was her best performance ever, she just pushed through her limits and she found them,” Fuentes later wrote on Instagram. “But Anita is OK and the doctors also said she is fine.

“We all know it happens in other sports: cycling, marathon, track and field … some don’t make it to the final line and some even finish crawling or passing out,” Fuentes added. “Our sport is very hard too. Now it’s time to rest and recover. Tomorrow is highlight day and free duet finals! Ready to give our best.”

Alvarez scored 87.6333 in the women’s solo free artistic swimming event, placing seventh.

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Alvarez had previously passed out in the pool during an Olympic qualifying event in 2021.

When discussing the 2021 incident with Nexstar’s WIVB, Alvarez claimed she felt like she was merely falling asleep.