3 years on from ‘tragic incident', US artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez looks back at how far she has come
SINGAPORE – It has been three years since American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez found herself in a distressing scene which went viral.
After completing her solo free final at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Budapest, Hungary, she fainted and sank to the bottom of the pool.
In that critical situation, it was her quick-thinking coach Andrea Fuentes who dived in to lift her to the surface.
Alvarez received medical treatment and was said to be fine despite having stopped breathing for at least two minutes. She missed the team final two days later.
Speaking to The Straits Times at the WCH Arena on July 17, a day before the start of the 2025 WCH artistic swimming competition, the 28-year-old said she is 'forever grateful' to Fuentes.
'There was a lot that happened in that moment,' Alvarez recalled. 'Of course, I was unconscious when it happened, so I don't have memories of the actual incident.
'I remember feeling good before the swim. I remember feeling like I was really enjoying it.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore
World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report
Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho
Asia Air India probe of Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues
Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore
Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment
Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes
Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail
'(It means a lot) having a coach or a teammate or whoever it is in your life that can be that intuitive about you and know when something is off to jump into action to help you out.
'The fact that my coach was able to step in at that moment and just react on the spot, I'm forever grateful.'
Alvarez, who was cleared by doctors to compete again, said that she did not really watch videos of the incident, adding: 'I think it was more about, 'how do we move forward from it?'
'Very forward thinking, trying to see what I can do to make sure that I'm okay, that I'm healthy enough to get back in the pool and continue doing what I love.
'I didn't want to keep watching it over and over, or cry about what had happened. I wanted to move on from it and become a better and stronger person.'
American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez performing during a show at the Bussys swimming pool in Eaubonne on April 28, 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
At the Paris Games, she reached a career milestone by winning her first Olympic medal, a silver in the team event.
'The steps that I took from that tragic moment, to the next two years to get to Paris and to end with the result that we did was quite the journey,' she said.
'It was very special to look back on that and see how far I came, how my support system helped me out and how strong the human mind is to be able to get us back into things like that.'
At the July 11-Aug 3 WCH in Singapore, Alvarez, who has one silver and three bronzes in her previous six appearances at the world championships, will be hoping to clinch gold for the first time.
While she does not know when she will be hanging up her goggles, she has already started preparing for life beyond the pool.
In November 2024, she enlisted into the United States Air Force and completed basic military training two months later under a programme that allows elite competitors to train while serving their country.
Alvarez said: 'Representing the USA in two different uniforms is pretty cool. It's gonna be time to wrap up my career at some point soon. So I've to start thinking about my future and my career outside of the pool is very important to me.
'The air force has so many different career fields to explore, so I'm excited about the opportunity for anything. Of course, (being a) pilot would be super cool, but it also depends when I decide to be done in the pool.'
For now though, Alvarez and her teammates will be focused on preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
She said: 'To see how magical it was in Paris, thinking that it could be happening in my home city makes me emotional because it would be so special.'
Teammate Jacklyn Luu added: 'Being able to compete at a home Olympic Games (would mean) so much for all of us, especially bringing the exposure to artistic swimming for all of America.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Records, rivalries and races to watch at the World Aquatics Championships
Pan Zhanle of China is set to defend his 100m freestyle title at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. SINGAPORE - As the world's top swimmers line up at the starting blocks for the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) on July 27, fans can expect some thrilling action in the WCH Arena over the next eight days. From world champions to Olympic gold medallists and record holders, the battle for supremacy in the pool looks set to heat up from Day 1. The Straits Times looks at some of the races to watch. 1. Women's 100m butterfly (July 28) American Gretchen Walsh is one of the exciting talents to watch in Singapore after dominating the pool this season. Winner of two golds and a silver at the Paris Olympics, Walsh broke the 50m fly American record at the Pro Swim Series in May after clocking 24.93sec. A day later, the 22-year-old bettered her own world mark in the 100m fly twice at the same meet, first clocking 55.09 before improving her time to 54.60. Out to claim her first individual gold at the world championships, Walsh will face a stiff challenge from Olympic champion Torri Huske (US), 2024 winner Angelina Koehler of Germany and Australia's Alexandria Perkins, who ranks third in the world this year in the event after Walsh and Koehler. 2. Men's 100m freestyle (July 31) In his Olympic debut in Paris 2024, Pan Zhanle made history by clocking 46.40 seconds in the 100m freestyle to claim gold and better his own world record – it was China first-ever gold in the event. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Singapore As Asean looks to nuclear energy, public education efforts are needed: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Shunsaku Tamiya, who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90 Finishing over a second ahead of his rival, Australia's Kyle Chalmers, Pan also delivered one of the largest margins of victory in the event in decades. Impressively, all eight swimmers in the final finished under 48 seconds – another first for an Olympic final. Now, headlining the 34-member Chinese squad, Pan is looking to retain his 100m free gold from the 2024 championships. He will face a tough challenge from 2023 world champion Chalmers and Romania's David Popovici, who was third in Paris and boasts the world-leading time of 46.71sec clocked at the European Aquatics Championships U23 in Slovakia in June. 3. Men's 200m breaststroke (Aug 1) While the focus was initially on Olympic champion Leon Marchand, the Frenchman's decision to skip the breaststroke events has opened up the field in the 200m breaststroke. China's Qin Haiyang, 26, is the favourite for gold after setting the world record time of 2:05.48 at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships. At the meet in Fukuoka, he was also the first swimmer to sweep all the breaststroke golds at a single championships. Qin will also be out for redemption after failing to progress to the final at the Paris Olympics, but he will have to contend with the likes of former world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook (Australia) and teammate Dong Zhihao, who will be gunning for back-to-back titles. 4. Women's 800m freestyle (Aug 2) The clash of the championships will see two of the world's best swimmers facing off in the 800m freestyle for the first time on the world stage. American superstar Ledecky, the veteran at 28, has been unbeatable at the world championships and Olympics for 13 years, barring a sole defeat to Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh at the 2024 Southern Zone meet. While Ledecky's trophy collection includes 13 Olympic medals – nine of them gold, including four in the 800m free – and 21 world championship titles, McIntosh is aiming to give her a run for her money. The 18-year-old has been in red-hot form this season, setting world-best times at the recent Canadian Trials in the 400m freestyle (3:54.18), 200m individual medley (2:05.70) and 400m individual medley (4:23.65). In that meet, she was the first swimmer since American legend Michael Phelps to break three individual world records at a single meet. 5. Men's 50m backstroke, Aug 3 Back in the pool at the world championships, Russia's Kliment Kolesnikov will be looking to make up for lost time in Singapore. The 25-year-old missed out on Paris 2024 owing to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and only received the nod from World Aquatics to compete at the championships this time under neutral status. In 2023, he set the world record of 23.55sec in the 50m backstroke at the Russian National Swimming Cup – the record remains unbroken. Kolesnikov is also expected to challenge for the 100m backstroke title – his best finish in the event was a silver at the 2021 edition in Abu Dhabi.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Five killed in courthouse attack in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iranian media report
Find out what's new on ST website and app. An armed attack by the Sunni Jaish al-Adl Baluch group on a courthouse in Iran's restive southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province killed at least five people and injured 13, Iranian media reported. Three assailants were also killed in the ensuing clashes with security forces, a senior police official told the state news agency IRNA. He said a mother and child were among those killed by the gunmen who threw a hand grenade into the building in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan. Iranian media said Jaish al-Adl had in a statement taken responsibility for the attack. Reuters could not immediately confirm this. The Baluch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting eyewitnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers. Sistan-Baluchestan province, near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to Iran's Sunni Muslim Baluch minority, who have long complained of economic marginalisation and political exclusion. The province frequently sees clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. The Iranian government accuses some of them of ties to foreign powers and involvement in cross-border smuggling and insurgency. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Courthouse attacked in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iranian media report
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Gunmen from the Sunni Jaish al-Adl Baluch group attacked a courthouse in Iran's restive southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iranian media reported. The semi-official Fars news agency said there may have been a suicide bomber involved in the assault in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan. It said explosions and gunfire were heard around the courthouse building, adding that Jaish al-Adl had in a statement taken responsibility for the attack. Mehr news agency said a number of injured had been taken to hospital. The Baluch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting eyewitnesses, said several judiciary staff and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers. Sistan-Baluchestan province, near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to Iran's Sunni Muslim Baluch minority, who have long complained of economic marginaliSation and political exclusion. The province frequently sees clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. The Iranian government accuses some of them of ties to foreign powers and involvement in cross-border smuggling and insurgency. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Multimedia Lights dimmed at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Asia Where's Jho Low? Looking for 1MDB fugitive in Shanghai's luxury estate Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur calling for the resignation of PM Anwar Life SG60 F&B icons: Honouring 14 heritage brands that have never lost their charm Business Can STI continue its defiant climb in second half of 2025?
