Slovakian athlete Tamara Potocká collapsed after completing a swim at the Olympic Games this morning, leaving spectators at the Paris Aquatics Centre shocked as she was hurriedly carried away on a stretcher.

The 21-year-old competed in a heat of the women’s 200-meter individual medley at 10:30am BST this morning and clambered out of the pool having come in seventh, missing out on qualification for the later rounds.

But moments later her legs buckled and she tumbled to the ground, managing to sit down for a few seconds before falling backwards.

Potocká was seen in distress at the side of the pool even as another eight swimmers lined up in preparation for the next heat, until organisers realised something was wrong and medical staff descended on the scene.

Medics quickly placed an oxygen mask over the face of the young Slovak, who was lying motionless, before carefully loading her onto a stretcher and rushing her out of the La Defense arena as fellow swimmers and spectators alike watched on in horror.

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

After a tense 30 minutes, the venue’s media manager confirmed Potocká was conscious and under medical assessment, but gave no further update on her condition.