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.
