NANTERRE, France (AP) — Slovakia swimmer Tamara Potocka collapsed poolside Friday morning after a qualifying heat of the women's 200-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympics when she had an asthma attack, a team spokesman said.
Potocka, 21, was given first aid and carried off on a stretcher while wearing an oxygen mask. Medical personal at the pool said she was conscious.
“They transferred her to the hospital in the Olympic Village and our team doctor is waiting for her there,” Slovakia Olympic Committee spokesman Lubomír Souček told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Potocka collapsed as she got out of the water and almost immediately was surrounded by a half-dozen medical attendants who put her on a stretcher after about a minute and carried her off the pool deck.
It was not clear if she received CPR.
Israeli swimmer Lea Polonsky, who swam two heats after Potocka, said swimmers know their sport has inherent risks.
“Of course that's something in the back of your mind, but we do every day push ourselves to the limit,” she added. “You always know something like that can happen. It's not something you think about during the race, but it's always there.”
This is Potocka's first Olympics. She lives in the Slovakian capital Bratislava.
Potocka finished seventh in her heat in a time of 2 minutes, 14.20 seconds. Her time was not fast enough to advance her to the semifinals of the event, which eliminated her from the competition.
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Members of the medical team carry Slovakia's Tamara Potocka during a women's 200-meter individual medley heat at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Slovakia's Tamara Potocka is taken on stretcher from the pool deck after collapsing following a heat of the women's 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Slovakia’s Tamara Potocka is taken on stretcher from the pool deck after collapsing following a heat of the women's 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A bridge collapsed Monday as more rain fell on northern Vietnam from a former typhoon that caused landslides, flooding, power outages and at least 21 deaths, state media reported.
The busy steel bridge over the engorged Red River in Phu Tho province collapsed Monday morning, local officials told state media. Several motorbikes and cars fell into the river, the initial reports said, adding that three people fished out of the river in ongoing rescue operations had been taken to the hospital. No casualties have yet been reported.
Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph (92 mph). It weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency has still warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides.
On Sunday, a landslide killed six people including an infant and injured nine others in Sa Pa town, a popular trekking base known for its terraced rice fields and mountains. Overall, state media reported 21 deaths and at least 299 people injured from the weekend.
Skies were overcast in the capital, Hanoi, with occasional rain Monday morning as workers cleared the uprooted trees, fallen billboards and toppled electricity poles. Heavy rain continued in northwestern Vietnam and forecasters said it could exceed 40 centimeters (15 inches) in places.
Initially, at least 3 million people were left without electricity in Quang Ninh and Haiphong provinces, and it's unclear how much has been restored.
The two provinces are industrial hubs, housing many factories that export goods including EV maker VinFast and Apple suppliers Pegatrong and USI. Factory workers told The Associated Press on Sunday that many industrial parks were inundated and the roofs of many factories had been blown away.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Haiphong city on Sunday and approved a package of $4.62 million to help the port city recover.
Yagi also damaged agricultural land, nearly 116,192 hectares where rice is mostly grown.
Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines last week and three deaths in China.
Storms like Typhoon Yagi were “getting stronger due to climate change, primarily because warmer ocean waters provide more energy to fuel the storms, leading to increased wind speeds and heavier rainfall,” said Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore.
Flood triggered by Typhoon Yagi submerges houses in Bac Giang province, Vietnam Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Le Danh Lam/VNA via AP)
Flood triggered by Typhoon Yagi submerges houses in Phu Tho province, Vietnam Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Ta Van Toan/VNA via AP)
A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
Flood triggered by Typhoon Yagi submerges houses in Phu Tho province, Vietnam Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Ta Van Toan/VNA via AP)
People carry belongings in flood triggered by Typhoon Yagi in Lang Son province, Vietnam Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Nguyen Anh Tuan/VNA via AP)
Flood triggered by Typhoon Yagi submerges houses in Lang Son province, Vietnam Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Nguyen Anh Tuan/VNA via AP)
A bridge collapse due to floods triggered by typhoon Yagi in Phu Tho province, Vietnam on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 (Bui Van Lanh/ VNA via AP)
