Slovakian swimmer Tamara Potocká, 21, collapses and is taken away on a stretcher in front of horrified spectators and her Brit rival after finishing Olympic 200m individual medley heat

Slovakian jock Tamara Potocká collapsed aft completing a aquatics astatine nan Olympic Games this morning, leaving spectators astatine nan Paris Aquatics Centre shocked arsenic she was hurriedly carried distant connected a stretcher.

The 21-year-old competed successful a power of nan women's 200-meter individual medley astatine 10:30am BST this greeting and clambered retired of nan excavation having travel successful seventh, missing retired connected qualification for nan later rounds.

But moments later her legs buckled and she tumbled to nan ground, managing to beryllium down for a fewer seconds earlier falling backwards.

Potocká was seen successful distress astatine nan broadside of nan excavation moreover arsenic different 8 swimmers lined up successful mentation for nan adjacent heat, until organisers realised thing was incorrect and aesculapian unit descended connected nan scene.

Medics quickly placed an oxygen disguise complete nan look of nan young Slovak, who was lying motionless, earlier cautiously loading her onto a stretcher and rushing her retired of nan La Defense arena arsenic her British rival Abbie Wood watched connected successful horror. 

For a fewer moments following Potocká's swim, cipher seemed to person realised nan Slovak jock was experiencing immoderate difficulty. 

The unrecorded broadcast showed really nan competitors for nan adjacent power had taken to nan poolside and were stripping off, seemingly seconds distant from leaping into nan water, arsenic commentators began previewing nan competition.

But nan camera past pulled backmost to uncover really Potocká, wearing a bluish skinsuit, had not near nan venue and was sitting specified feet from nan poolside, intelligibly experiencing sizeable fatigue. 

She was still location arsenic nan swimmers for nan adjacent power took their marks, and seconds later she slumped backwards and was seen lying prone connected nan tiles.

Commentators clocked that thing wasn't correct arsenic nan adjacent power was delayed and aesculapian unit rushed poolside. 

'This doesn't look good...15,000 group are now watching an jock surrounded by aesculapian unit and I tin guarantee you it's perfectly silent successful here,' 1 broadcaster said arsenic they witnessed aesculapian unit crowding astir nan swimmer. 

'They've sewage a stretcher out, they've sewage an oxygen disguise connected nan athlete, and I'm going to say... this looks very serious,' he said. 

'They've sewage nan cervix brace astir truthful I tin only ideate that personification has deed their caput and has immoderate benignant of trauma - they want to immobilise nan athlete. 

'We dream that there's thing much than that...' 

After a tense 30 minutes, nan venue's media head confirmed Potocká was conscious and nether aesculapian assessment, but gave nary further update connected her condition.