American Olympian Anita Alvarez recalls near-drowning incident

American Olympian Anita Alvarez needed to beryllium rescued from the excavation erstwhile she fainted and astir drowned astatine the World Aquatics Championships successful June 2022.

The creator swimmer yet helped Team USA triumph a metallic medal astatine the 2024 Paris Games, but it was the infinitesimal erstwhile her manager rushed into the excavation to prevention her 2 years anterior that stuck with the sports satellite for months earlier the Olympics began.

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Anita Alvarez of the United States, center, is taken from the excavation aft collapsing during the solo escaped last of the creator swimming astatine the 19th FINA World Championships successful Budapest, Hungary, connected Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Zsolt Szigetvary/MTI via AP)

She opened up astir the incidental successful an interrogation with People magazine, which was published connected Saturday.

"I retrieve abruptly opening to spot airy done my eyes, and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m not breathing,’ conscionable arsenic they were starting to enactment an oxygen disguise connected me,’" she said.

Alvarez said the full incidental "blew up mode much than" she would person thought.

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Anita Alvarez is helped retired of the excavation aft collapsing during the solo escaped last of the creator swimming astatine the 19th FINA World Championships successful Budapest, Hungary, connected Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Zsolt Szigetvary/MTI via AP)

"But learning however those photos inspired radical changed the mode I looked astatine it," she said.

Alvarez is present focused connected her vocation extracurricular the pool. She joined the U.S. Air Force and graduated from basal grooming successful January. She is simply a subordinate of the World Class Athletic Program, which helps subject members proceed their grooming portion serving the country.

She has since returned to the excavation to cogwheel up for the satellite championships aboriginal this twelvemonth successful Singapore with hopes of returning to Team USA for the 2028 Olympics successful Los Angeles.

USA synchronized swimming jock Anita Alvarez poses for a representation during the 2016 Team USA Media Summit astatine the Beverly Hilton successful Los Angeles connected March 8, 2016. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

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Alvarez has 3 bronze and 1 metallic medal successful the satellite championships.

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