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Dramatic underwater rescue of unconscious swimmer captured in photographs

The dramatic rescue of Team USA swimmer Anita Alvarez has been captured by underwater photographer Oli Scarff in a series of photos that make for a moment-by-moment replay. Alvarez was performing in the artistic swimming solo free final at the 2022 World Aquatics Championship in Budapest when, at the end of her swim, she became unconscious and sank to the bottom of the pool. Head coach Andrea Fuentes quickly sprang into action, diving into the pool fully clothed and swimming down to grab Alvarez. “It was a good scare,” Fuentes told Spanish sports newspaper Macra. “I had to dive in because the lifeguards didn’t do it. I was scared because I could see she wasn’t breathing.” Fuentes then brought Alvarez to the pool’s surface, where another swimmer helped take the unconscious athlete to the edge of the pool. Alvarez was lifted out of the water and onto a stretcher so she could receive medical attention. In a statement, Fuentes confirmed that Alvarez had a medical emergency but that “all is okay”. “The doctors checked all vitals and everything is normal: heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure, etc … all is okay,” she said. “We sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports. “We have seen images where some athletes don’t make it to the finish line and others help them to get there. “Our sport is no different than others, just in a pool, we push through limits and sometimes we find them. “Anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is okay. Tomorrow she will rest all day and will decide with the doctor if she can swim free team finals or not. Thank you for all your well wishes for Anita.” This isn’t the first time Alvarez has experienced a medical emergency in the pool, nor is it the first time Fuentes has saved her. Alvarez briefly lost consciousness at the end of a routine while at an Olympic qualification event in Barcelona last June, where Fuentes dove in to rescue her. The 25-year-old came seventh in Wednesday’s competition with a score of 87.6333, with Japan’s Yukiko Inui claiming victory having scored 95.3667. Images: Oli Scarff (Getty Images)

Caring

Historic change made for transgender swimmers

The swimming world will be the first sport to allow transgender athletes to compete at an elite level separate to men’s and women’s competitions, after the International Swimming Federation (FINA)’s president Husain Al-Mussallam announced the new category on Monday. “I do not want any athlete to be told they cannot compete at the highest level,” Mr Al-Mussallam told the FINA Extraordinary Congress in Budapest, Hungary, per <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/swimming-makes-historic-decision-to-segregate-transgender-athletes/news-story/3832900944e167a1b19c817f35dfb7be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “I will set up a working group to set up an open category at our meets. We will be the first federation to do that.” Mr Al-Mussallam announced the change after FINA unveiled an inclusivity policy which was then approved by members. Brent Nowicki, the CEO of FINA, said the organisation was determined to maintain separate competitions for men and women. “(FINA) recognises that certain individuals may not be able to compete in the category that best aligns with their legal gender alignment or gender identity,” he added. Mr Nowicki explained that under the rules, the male competition would be open to everyone. However, “male-to-female” and intersex athletes would only be allowed to compete in the women’s competition or set a world record “if they can prove they have not experienced any element of male puberty”. This prompted immediate backlash from some sections of the swimming world, with Dr Christer Magnusson, a member of FINA’s medical committee, among those complaining that it implied that boys as young as 10 would have to decide to start transitioning to compete as female athletes. David Gerrard, a fellow member of the medical committee and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Otago, New Zealand, also criticised the policy. “To ask or expect an 11, 12-year-old boy to make a decision that will affect the rest of his life is a big ask,” Professor Gerrard said. Others were more receptive to the decision. American swimmer Alex Walsh cautiously welcomed it after she won the women’s 200m medley at the world championships on Monday morning. “I’m happy that FINA are … re-evaluating the rules,” she said. “I am not really sure what the answer is to keep things fair but obviously I hope that everyone is able to compete and as long as they are finding a way to do that then I am happy.” FINA’s decision and policy come after the International Olympic Committee asked sports federations to create their own “sport-specific” rules about transgender athletes last year. FINA created three committees - one legal, one medical, and one of athletes - to consider the issue, with the medical committee finding that transgender women retained some advantages from being assigned male at birth. “Some of the advantages males acquire in puberty are structural and are not lost with hormone suppression,” said Dr Sandra Hunter of Milwaukee’s Marquette University. “These include larger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and hands.” Meanwhile, the legal experts found that the policy of excluding most transgender swimmers would be legal. “(It is) necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate objective,” London-based barrister James Drake said. The new gender inclusion policy will come into effect on June 20, 2022, according to the <a href="https://www.fina.org/news/2649715/press-release-fina-announces-new-policy-on-gender-inclusion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FINA website</a>. Image: @fina1908 (Instagram)

News

Anti-trans billboard featuring Aussie swimmers comes under fire

Swimming Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have threatened a conservative lobby group with legal action over billboards featuring images of elite female swimmers used in a campaign against trans women competing in sport, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/25/swimming-australia-threatens-legal-action-over-billboards-claiming-womens-sport-is-not-for-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. Conservative group Advance, formerly the Advance Australia Party, has produced billboards and social media graphics featuring the phrase “Women’s sport is not for men” alongside images of Dawn Fraser, Emma McKeon and Emily Seebohm, after all three commented on the issue recently. The group recently launched the billboards as criticism of Warringah MP Zali Steggall’s support for including trans women in female sports, all while supporting Liberal Warringah candidate Katherine Deves following her controversial comments about trans people. A spokesperson for the AOC said the organisation will send a legal letter to Advance, alleging the billboards use its intellectual property without permission. The billboards use images of Seebohm and McKeon in their uniforms that feature the Olympic rings, the intellectual property the AOC claims is being used without permission. Swimming Australia has also sent a legal threat to Advance to “immediately” remove the ads, and “strongly condemns” the use of the athletes’ imagery. The organisation has claimed Advance didn’t seek or receive permission to use the imagery. “For clarity - if it was sought it would have been categorically denied. Swimming Australia does not endorse this, or any message, from the Advance Australia party,” Eugénie Buckley, the chief executive of Swimming Australia, said in a statement. “Swimming Australia believes in a competitive environment that is inclusive, fair and equitable for all athletes at the same time. Ultimately, all Australians deserve to feel welcome, safe, valued and celebrated in swimming.” Advance has indicated it will not remove the billboards following Swimming Australia’s legal threat. Seebohm has criticised Advance for using her comments and image “as part of a political agenda without my consent”. The Olympic swimmer previously told Sky News that “biological males are always going to be stronger, fitter, faster than biological females” and that swimming authorities “need to work out how we can all come together in this sport”. Meanwhile, Fraser told the Daily Telegraph, “I don’t think it’s fair to have transgender men competing against women”, and McKeon said she “personally would not want to be racing against someone who is biologically male” at a Griffith University event. Seebohm has stood by her comments, telling Guardian Australia she didn’t consent to their use by Advance. “As I have stated in the media this week, there needs to be a conversation started about how to be inclusive while still maintaining fairness for all athletes,” she told the publication. “I did not, and would never, give my permission for my image or brand to be used by Advance Australia on the mobile billboards, or advertising that is currently circulating, as part of a political campaign. “I remain committed to finding a fair solution for all athletes to be able to compete on a level playing field, while encouraging inclusiveness and supporting more young people to become involved in the sport.” According to reports from Nine News, Fraser has engaged her own solicitor to address the use of her image in the campaign. Image: Advance Australia (Facebook)

Legal

Olympic swim champ arrested after sex with a minor

French swimming champion Yannick Agnel has admitted to having sex with a minor, a prosecutor said on Monday. The 29-year-old, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics, was arrest at his Paris home last week on suspicion of rape and sexual assault, and taken into police custody. Agnel “recognises the substance of the allegations against him,” Mulhouse public prosecutor Edwige Roux-Morizot told a press conference, adding the swimmer did not “sense that there was coercion”. The prosecutor said the facts constituted “rape or sexual assault as there is a big gap in age” between him and the plaintiff, who has been named as Naome Horter: the teenage daughter of Agnel’s swimming coach. The assault is alleged to have taken place in 2016, when the girl was 13 and Agnel was 24. During the criminal investigation, the French Swimming Federation (FFN) announced they would also be launching a civil action case. “The Federation has been informed of the admission by Mr. Agnel of ‘the substance of the allegations of which he is accused’. The decision was officially taken today to become a civil party before the judicial court of Mulhouse in this case, which the Federation deeply deplores.” Rising to prominence in 2010 after setting a French championship swimming record, Agnel went on to win gold in the 200m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay at the London 2012 Olympics. He went to Rio in 2016 to defend his title, but failed to advance through the heats, and later announced his retirement from swimming. Image credits: Getty Images

News

How to avoid swimmer’s ear

Summer is here and my ears are burning. Not because someone maybe talking about me or because they are sunburnt but because I have swimmer's ear. The warm weather and time in the water sees different things impacting on our wellbeing. In my medical career I have treated thousands of cases of swimmer’s ear otherwise known as otitis externa. It’s an infection in the external ear canal that runs from the ear drum to the earlobe and outside world. One of the more common causes of otitis externa is water becoming trapped in the canal and bacteria and fungi growing, causing inflammation and pain. Having treated many cases, it's interesting to experience it. It’s really sore, hard to sleep and even eating is painful. It certainly impacts on your wellbeing. As with most things prevention is better than cure as is early treatment if you get it. Some people maybe more likely to get swimmer’s ear due to chronic dermatitis, a narrow ear canal or what is called surfer’s ear. Having worked in Taranaki as a doctor for many years surfer’s ear is very common. This is where bony growths called exostoses crowd the ear canal, so water gets trapped between the bony lumps and the eardrum. You may see the odd person hopping on one foot to another shaking their head trying to clear the water from their ear canal. So, if you have surfer’s ear or are prone to swimmer’s ear, keeping water out of the ear canal is an important strategy in staying well. A stylish shower cap may do the trick at home or earplugs for those of you who have hair to wash. Earplugs while surfing or swimming help as well and are preferable to having to sit out the water with an ear infection during summer while everyone plunges in. Wearing earplugs may in fact help prevent surfer’s ear as well. If that fails and pain and inflammation are setting in, it’s important to get onto it quickly. If it’s mild and you don't have a perforated ear drum or complications there are concoctions available in the form of ear drops which are essentially vinegar (acetic acid) and alcohol that change the pH and dry out the ear. Next steps are eardrops that contain steroids to reduce inflammation and antibiotics and antifungals to kill the bugs. If it is really bad, you may need oral antibiotics or even a visit to an ear, nose and throat specialist to get the debris removed. What you want to avoid is letting it get too far so you don't end up getting chronic otitis externa and recurrent ear infections. Infection and inflammation are like fires, avoid starting them but if you have one, put it out quickly before it takes hold and causes more damage. With the longer summer evenings and people spending more time outside there are more things that go bump in the evening. I have seen numerous cases of bugs flying into people's ears at beaches, barbeques and boudoirs. This is really frightening, and a small insect can sound like a large military brass band banging on your tympanic membrane (ear drum). Simple treatment is to lie on your side and put a few drops of olive oil in your ear. The bug drowns and silence is achieved. Then get the bug removed or it may just float out. Look after yourself and your loved ones ears this summer and don't go poking anything in your ears or theirs. Written by Dr Tom Mulholland. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Body

Ian Thorpe opens up about his battle with depression

Ian Thorpe has opened up about his battle with depression, revealing the struggle he went through after his battle was made known to the public. The Australian swimmer revealed his struggles with depression in his autobiography This Is Me, but he has said he wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of that decision. “I didn’t realise the toll it would take on me,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared to then talk about being depressed with people ... constantly going over the same detail," Ian added. “If there’s one way that really is guaranteed to make you depressed, it’s talking about being depressed.” However, Thorpe has said he has worked really hard to feel well and embrace life again. “I work on my mental health daily,” he said. “I’m not fearful of going into that kind of state again yet knowing my history, the likelihood is that it will happen again," Ian said. “But each time I’m faced with that, I have more tools to be able to manage that.” One thing Thorpe has found to make a difference in his life is allowing himself one day to feel down before calling his loved ones to ask for help. “Once I’ve taken that control over it, usually by the time 24 hours is up, I don’t need the friends to come,” he said. Thorpe has battled mental health issues since he was a teenager and highlighted how diagnosis can be quite difficult when athletes are training hard. “The thing that becomes quite complicated in sport is working out why you’re exhausted,” he said. “Is it because you have happened to have swum 120km in the last week? Or is it because you’re depressed?” Thorpe believes it is important for people to encourage an open, diverse and accepting society, workplace and community. “Collectively when we remove some of the dignity that is in people’s lives and in their roles, we actually weaken the entire group,” he said. The 35-year-old said his own career was testament to the fact that working as a team makes people stronger. “For me my best performances in my career were in relays,” Ian said. “When you calculate my times in relays I should always have been able to perform better in individual races," the swimmer reflected. “But I could not find that for myself the same way I can find it for my mates.” If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, please contact Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank">lifeline.org.au</a> or <a href="http://www.beyondblue.org.au/" target="_blank">beyondblue.org.au</a>.

Mind

US swimmer Ryan Lochte robbed at gunpoint in Rio

Gold medallist Ryan Lochte and his US swimming teammates have been robbed at gunpoint just hours after collecting gold in the 4 x 100m medley relay. Lochte and his fellow swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigan were celebrating their win at Club France, a nightclub in the city, when they were set upon by men dressed as police officers while making their way back to the Olympic Village. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground,” Lochte told reporters. “I refused, I was like we didn't do anything wrong, so — I'm not getting down on the ground. “And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down, ‘and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever,’” he added. “He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.” After the attack, Bentz tweeted, “We are all safe. Thank you for your love and support. P.S. the gold medal is safe.” The armed holdup is not the first incident to occur in Rio, with two Australian rowing coaches, a Portuguese spectator and a Russian swimmer all robbed in separate attacks. Tell us in the comments below, what do you think needs to be done to improve security in the final week of the Rio Games? Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/08/rio-olympic-pools-turn-deep-shade-of-green/">What on earth is going on with the pools at Rio?</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/british-grandma-who-is-tweeting-the-olympics/">The adorable British grandma who’s tweeting the Olympics</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/royals-special-message-for-britains-olympians/">The young royals have a special message for Britain’s Olympians</a>

News

Swimmers evacuated as 7-metre shark is spotted off coast

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water! A mammoth, seven metre shark has been spotted off the coast of South Australia. Swimmers were evacuated and a nearby Nippers event was cancelled when the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue helicopter spotted the creature around 200 metres off the coast at Marino Rocks on Sunday. <img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/14057/shark-sa_497x280.jpg" alt="Shark SA" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> An unnamed crew member described the sighting, saying “It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen as a crew member in the Westpac chopper. We put it down as 7m the photo really doesn’t do it justice.” While the sighting has social media abuzz, some experts have suggested the shark’s size could be exaggerated. Shark expert Andrew Fox told The Daily Mail, “A five-metre shark is an absolute giant and it looks twice as big – you can only imagine what a six-metre shark does to people's perceptions.” Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/01/chihuahua-begs-for-freedom-photos/">Photographer captures moment dog begs for freedom</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/01/service-dog-steals-the-show-at-wedding/">Service dog steals the show at wedding</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/01/nsw-gold-opal-daily-cap-could-rise/">Gold Opal daily cap could rise and self-funded retirees could lose cards</a>

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Dramatic underwater rescue of unconscious swimmer captured in photographs

Historic change made for transgender swimmers

Anti-trans billboard featuring Aussie swimmers comes under fire

Olympic swim champ arrested after sex with a minor

How to avoid swimmer’s ear

Ian Thorpe opens up about his battle with depression

US swimmer Ryan Lochte robbed at gunpoint in Rio

Swimmers evacuated as 7-metre shark is spotted off coast

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Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

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Keep up to date

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Dramatic underwater rescue of unconscious swimmer captured in photographs

Historic change made for transgender swimmers

Anti-trans billboard featuring Aussie swimmers comes under fire

Olympic swim champ arrested after sex with a minor

How to avoid swimmer’s ear

Ian Thorpe opens up about his battle with depression

US swimmer Ryan Lochte robbed at gunpoint in Rio

Swimmers evacuated as 7-metre shark is spotted off coast

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