Frightening scenes rock Paris Olympics as swimmer collapses

The swimming in Paris was brought to a standstill on Friday night when a swimmer collapsed poolside moments after her race.

Tamara Potocka collapsed poolside after her 200m IM heat. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The swimming action at La Defense Arena had to be stopped on Friday night (AEST) after a female swimmer from Slovakia collapsed on the pool deck following a heat of the 200m individual medley.

Tamara Potocka was left motionless on the side of the pool after her seventh-placed heat swim, with medical officials rushing from all corners of the stadium to assist.

The medical officials quickly applied oxygen and laid her onto a stretcher to carry her out of the stadium to a round of applause from the crowd.

“Scary moment here at swimming with one of the swimmers prone on the deck and emergency personnel rushing to the scene,” tweeted Sports Illustrated senior writer Pat Forde.

Potocka collapsed poolside after her heat. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The action in the pool was delayed for about 10 minutes as Potocka was taken out of the arena and into the medical tent.

A statement from Slovakia shortly after revealed Potocka was asthmatic and didn’t have her inhaler with her in the arena.

“Tamara has asthma. This whole combination of nervous and physical tension while she did not have her inhaler immediately available to use contributed to the creation of this problem,” Slovakia’s team leader, Ivana Lange, said in a statement.

“She received oxygen and necessary medication, her condition is constantly monitored. A few minutes ago, the doctor told me that she must be monitored for several more hours.”

Potocka being carried out of the arena. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Potocka took to social media after recovering and detailed how she had gone out too fast in her heat and the exhaustion caught up to her by the end of the race.

“I told myself that I would go all out and leave my soul in the pool, and that actually happened,” she wrote.

“Unfortunately, due to total exhaustion, I couldn’t leave on my own, so they had to carry me on a stretcher. No, I didn’t drop out or have an asthma attack‼️

“I just couldn’t breathe and move my whole body. what do you think it feels like to be watched by 15,000 people?

“I wanted to do well so much, that I started too fast, but because I am a fighter and I didn’t want to give up, it caught up with me at the end of the track, because I wanted to squeeze everything out of myself.

“But that happens when an athlete reaches the very bottom of her strength, just to achieve the best possible result and please her loved ones.

“Anyway, I’m fine and I can finally say that I’m an OLYMPIAN.”