Anita Alvarez was rescued by her coach Andrea Fuentes after fainting when her individual program ended. The TV pictures showed a lifeless Alvarez sinking slowly towards the bottom of the pool.
Now she has told American NBC about the experience and what really happened.
– I started to feel that my fingers were numb, then everything just turned black. It went so fast, says Alvarez.
The 25-year-old two-time Olympian says that the rescue felt like “slow motion”, but that is something her trainer and rescuer, Andrea Fuentes, does not agree with.
– For Anita, maybe it went fast, but for me it felt like a whole year.
Alvarez was registered and would initially compete in the team competition on Friday, but has now been replaced by Yujin Chang. In the interview with NBC on Wednesday, however, the 25-year-old gave a reassuring message.
– I knew right away that I would manage, as soon as I woke up and started breathing, it was okay.