Olympics rocked by frightening moment as temperatures soar in Tokyo
There were frightening scenes at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday when Russian shooter Svetlana Gomboeva collapsed due to oppressive heat.
Gomboeva fainted during a qualifying round as a heatwave in Tokyo pushed coaches and staff to huddle under trees for shade.
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Gomboeva collapsed as she was checking her final scores and required assistance from staff and teammates who put bags of ice on her head to cool her down.
"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."
Gomboeva quickly regained consciousness but needed to be taken out of the arena on a stretcher by medical officers.
Later she said that she would resume competing.
"I feel okay, my head hurts a lot. I can and I will shoot," Gomboeva, who finished the round 45th among 64 archers, wrote in her Instagram story.
Andrei Zholinsky, chief doctor for the Russian Olympic team, said the cause was a sunstroke and they would change her hydration and rest regime.
Fans were stunned by the confronting scenes involving Gomboeva.
Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva has fainted during her #Tokyo2020 qualifying round.
Coach Stanislav Popov said she “couldn’t stand” a whole day in the heat#Olympics #TokyoOlympics https://t.co/MGkZ9lWfMd— Sophia McBride (@sophiacmcbride) July 23, 2021
Today’s hot 🥵 Tomorrow’s gonna be hot 🥵 This season is just not suitable for any sports except swimming in Japan 🇯🇵
— JohnPaul (@whiteaby) July 23, 2021
I am glad to hear that Svetlana Gomboeva has recovered.
Apparently, volunteers are limited to bringing in one 750ml plastic bottle of beverage into the venue! https://t.co/HFkTLqTDW7— 南 七海 @生き物係長 (@nanami_1212) July 23, 2021
Athletes battle through heat at Tokyo Olympics
Temperatures peaked around 33 degrees Celsius in the archery dome on the first day of competition, with athletes facing challenges with hydration and staying cool.
Spectator stands at the Olympic archery venue were empty, with fans mostly banned from the pandemic-hit Games.
But volunteers and venue staff were moving around to remind participants to wear masks and maintain physical distances, all while gathering under canopies and tree shades.
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.
"I am excited it is not cold," said world champion Brady Ellison from the United States.
He finished a qualifying round with the second top score among 64 men archers.
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."
with Reuters
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