Anita Alvarez: Swimmer describes fainting in pool after being saved from drowning by coach

Swimmer Anita Alvarez has spoken for the first time after being saved from drowning at the 2022 World Championships.

Alvarez, an Olympic synchronised swimmer, fainted during a routine and had to be rescued by her coach, Andrea Fuentes, from the bottom of the pool during Wednesday night’s solo free final.

Shocking scenes saw Fuentes drab Alvarez limp body to the pool surface so medics could attend to the swimmer.

Speaking to NBC Nightly News, Alvarez thanked her coach. He said: "I say this all the time to her and to other people, [I’m] just so grateful to have her as a coach.

"When I found out she was coming to be our coach, it was like, I didn't believe it."

Alvarez described feeling good about her performance in the solo free final before unexpectedly passing out.

She added: "I remember feeling like it was a really great performance, my best one by far and not only just how I performed but just that I was actually enjoying it and really living in the moment too.

"So, because of that I feel really happy and really proud and then at the very end, I do remember like the very last arm I did, I gave like, it's such a simple small arm,.

"But I was like give everything until the very end and I did that and then I remember going down and just being like, kind of like, 'uh-oh, I don't feel too great.'

"And that's literally the last thing I remember actually."