POOLSIDE DRAMA

Paris Olympics Swimmer Collapses in Asthma Attack After 200 IM Heat

Slovakian Tamara Potocka had just climbed out of the water after qualifying for the 200M individual medley.

There was drama of the unwanted kind at the Paris Olympic pool Friday when a Slovakian swimmer collapsed after a qualifying race. Tamara Potocka, 21, was given immediate first aid after her poolside collapse and then stretchered away to the hospital at the Olympic village. A team spokeswoman said she had suffered an asthma attack. The Associated Press reported that Potocka collapsed as she got out of the water after a qualifying heat for the 200m individual medley and was quickly surrounded by a half-dozen medical attendants. It was not clear if she received CPR, AP said. A 2015 study found that about a quarter of Olympic swimmers suffered from asthma, far more than competitors in other sports, most likely due to exposure to chlorine byproducts during long training sessions.