Russian archer collapses, removed on stretcher amid Tokyo's scorching heat
Reuters | Posted: July 23, 2021 4:40 AM | Last Updated: July 23, 2021
Heat wave pushes coaches, staff to gather under nearby trees for shade
A Russian archer fainted in the Tokyo heat during a qualifying Olympic round on Friday as a heatwave pushed coaches and staff to huddle under trees for shade.
Svetlana Gomboeva collapsed as she checked her final scores and required assistance from staff and teammates who put bags of ice on her head to cool her down.
"We hope that she will be okay. It turns out that she couldn't stand a whole day out in the heat," coach Stanislav Popov told reporters.
"This is the first time I remember this happening. In Vladivostok, where we were training before this, the weather was similar. But humidity played a role here."
WATCH | Athletes gear up for searing heat in Tokyo:
Teammate Ksenia Perova said later that Gomboeva was recovering well and would be able to resume competition.
"Everything is fine with Sveta now," she said.
With temperatures expected to peak around 33 C in the archery dome on the first day of competition, athletes had challenges with hydration and staying cool as well as those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH | Olympic archery, explained:
Gomboeva quickly regained consciousness after collapsing but exited the arena on a stretcher with medical officers.
"I feel fine, my head hurts badly," Gomboeva wrote on Instagram later. "I CAN shoot! AND I WILL!"
South Korea's Kang Chaeyoung, who came third in the individual ranking rounds, said she had not experienced anything like Tokyo's heatwave conditions in other recent events.
Australia's Alice Ingley had some simple advice for her fellow competitors on how to beat the heat.
"Cooling vest, slushies, fans, umbrellas, just all that, just try to keep out of the heat as much as possible," Ingley told Reuters after her competition.
"And drink water as much as possible."