Olympic swimmer stretchered out of venue after asthma attack following race

Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocka collapsed poolside at Paris' La Defense Arena on Friday and was taken away on a stretcher.

Potocka received first aid from medics after falling ill. She had competed in a qualifying heat of the women’s 200m individual medley.

The Slovakian Olympic team told the BBC Potocka is an asthmatic and had an asthma attack. Potocka, 21, was seen being treated with an oxygen mask as she was taken away from the arena. Medics at the pool confirmed to the Associated Press that she was conscious as she was taken away.

Potocka, who is at her first Olympics, collapsed after getting out of the pool. She finished seventh in her heat and was surrounded by medics as she slumped to the floor. She was placed on a stretcher within a couple of minutes and taken away from the arena. She has been taken to hospital for further observation.

Potocka was not in the same heat as American duo Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass, who both advanced to the semifinals after finishing first and second in their respective heats. Potocka finished outside the top 16 times and was eliminated from the competition.

Israeli swimmer Lea Polonsky raced two heats after Potocka and said elite swimming comes with inherent health risks. “Of course, that’s something in the back of your mind, but we do every day push ourselves to the limit,” she explained. “You always know something like that can happen. It’s not something you think about during the race, but it’s always there.”