Guest Post by Mark Crispin Miller
It was already clear from the opening ceremony that these games would be the sickest in Olympic history; but, this being the Age of COVID, there was far worse to come
UNITED STATES
Covid-stricken Noah Lyles collapses after getting bronze, one of 8 US medals at Olympic track
August 8, 2024
Saint-Denis, France — The first sign of trouble Thursday night came when Noah Lyles started rounding the curve in the Olympic final of the 200 meters — the sprint that has always been his best race. Normally at the curve, Lyles starts making up ground, then pulling away from what have been, for the last three years, game but overmatched contenders. This time, his momentum stalled. Instead of Lyles reeling in the runner two lanes to his right, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Tebogo. pulled farther way. The American favorite, who had gone three years without losing in the 200, labored into the finish and collapsed onto the track after ending up in third. The insidious specter of COVID, the killer virus that upended the globe four years ago and made the last Olympics part of its collateral damage, struck at the Paris Games, too.
Katie Ledecky has POTS. Swimming may help her manage it
August 6, 2024
Katie Ledecky is the most decorated American female Olympian of all time, with 14 Olympic medals for swimming — nine of which are gold. But in her recently published memoir, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” the athlete revealed that she has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition with no cure that impacts the autonomic nervous system. One of the hallmark symptoms of POTS is exercise intolerance, though swimming is actually a common treatment for it. In her memoir, Ledecky wrote that “reclined aerobic exercise, such as swimming, and strengthening your core can provide relief,” which she noted “is kind of funny.”
No age reported.
Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky talks about Tokyo Games, getting vaccinated
December 23, 2020
New Study: Is There a Link Between COVID-19 Vaccination and POTS?
January 3, 2024
American wrestler met with devastating cardiac arrest during Paris Olympics as athlete forced to take drastic step
August 1, 2024
After coming agonizingly close to qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestler Alan Vera and his family suffered another blow, this time a matter of life and death. “Alan recently suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while playing soccer,” states the wrestler’s GoFundMe page.
If you like “News from Underground” (or hate it, but get something out of it), please read this post.
SAMOA
Samoan boxing coach: Olympics star is left broken as his coach dies in Paris aged 60 in a horrible echo of a previous family Games tragedy
August 4, 2024
Samoan boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali has been left shattered after his coach died just hours before his Olympics loss to Belgium’s Victor Schelstraete – and just three years after losing his mum during the Tokyo Games.
Plodzicki-Faoagali is Samoa’s only boxer in Paris and received the devastating news just before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Lionel Elika Fatupaito, a beloved figure in Samoan sports, collapsed in the Games Village on Friday morning after going into cardiac arrest and died aged just 60, leaving the Samoan delegation and the boxing community in deep sorrow.
The Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) announced his passing, reassuring the 24 athletes in Samoa’s delegation as they prepared for the competitions.
The International Olympic Committee expressed condolences, noting Lionel’s death was due to natural causes.
FRANCE
Terrifying Scene: French athlete collapses during Olympics 10,000m final
August 9, 2024
French athlete Alessia Zarbo collapsed on the track, prompting an immediate response from emergency medics while the race continued around her during the Olympics 10,000m final. As the race continued around her, medics swiftly rushed to Zarbo’s aid, with the incident captured on live television. One of the announcers blamed the weather on Zarbos collapse, stating, “It is quite humid and quite sticky. And maybe the whole emotion of the occasion has gotten to her as well.” With a handful of laps left in the Stade de France, one of the home favorites fell to the ground on the home straight, while the race continued alongside her. As the camera followed the leading pack around the bend, TV viewers saw medics urgently attending to the runner, with others bringing a stretcher to her aid.
No age reported.
ITALY
Tamberi in hospital days before high jump defence
August 4, 2024
Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi has been taken to hospital just days before he is due to start the defence of the high jump title he memorably shared in Tokyo. The Italian said he had a suspected kidney problem, just three days before the qualifying round is due to begin at the Paris Games. In one of the most iconic moments in Tokyo three years ago, Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim agreed to share gold after asking permission from the event officials when they could not be split – having recorded the same clearances. On Sunday, however, Tamberi posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed and said: “Unbelievable… this can’t be true. Yesterday… I felt a stabbing pain in my side.”
No age reported.
Olympic games: Athlete persevered despite cancer battle
July 29, 2024
Italian-Brazilian fencer Nathalie Moellhausen has become an inspiration to millions after competing in the women’s épée event at the Paris Olympics despite battling cancer. The 38-year-old athlete revealed that she had recently discovered a tumour in her spine, which led to hospitalisation just days before the Olympic Games. Against all odds, she was discharged in time to compete. During her match against Canada’s Ruien Xiao, Moellhausen’s visible pain and trembling legs shocked viewers worldwide. Despite the immense physical suffering, she persevered, earning the admiration of millions. Moellhausen collapsed after the match and was immediately taken to hospital for further treatment. She is scheduled to undergo spinal surgery on Monday.
SOUTH KOREA
Viral Olympic shooter Kim Yeji collapses at press conference in scary scene
August 9, 2024
South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji, who went viral for her custom shooting glasses at the Paris Olympics, was hospitalized after she collapsed during an event in her home country on Friday. The 31-year-old Kim collapsed due to “accumulated fatigue,” officials indicated, according to Le Huffington Post, which obtained video of the Olympian being carried on a stretcher. She was admitted to Jeonju Hospital in the south of the country for tests, local authorities said, per the outlet. It came after the sharpshooter won silver in the 10-meter air pistol event at the Paris Olympics on July 28. Kim was sitting down and speaking to reporters on a microphone when she collapsed in Imsil, the county that she represented for seven years in the southern part of South Korea. Kim regained consciousness and was taken to hospital, a county official told Reuters by telephone. Others around Kim tended to her on the floor. A separate report by The Sun said Kim is believed to have passed out due to stress and exhaustion. Kim made headlines at the Summer Games for her fashionable look and nonchalant demeanor when she secured silver.
JAPAN
Another swimmer collapses on pool deck at Paris Olympics
August 4, 2024
There were worrying scenes at the pool in Paris as another swimmer appeared to collapse on the final night of swimming action. In concerning scenes post-race, it’s believed Japan’s Rikako Ikee collapsed after the event. Ikee was making her way from broadcast interviews to the mixed zone when it appeared she collapsed. She was surrounded by medical officials as she lay on the ground. Towels were used to shield Ikee as she was carried out of view. Ikke, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019, has made a comeback to the pool to compete at her home Games in Tokyo and now the Paris Olympics. The 24-year-old has spent time training in Australia and the likes of Aussie Olympic legend Emma McKeon rallied around her during her battle with leukaemia.
It comes days after Slovakia’s Tamara Potocka collapsed on the pool deck following a heat of the 200m individual medley. 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. A statement from Slovakia shortly after revealed Potocka was asthmatic and didn’t have her inhaler with her in the arena.
