Originally published July 28, 2023 8:00 am PDT
In a frightening turn of events, Linda Caicedo, the 18-year-old soccer sensation from Colombia, fainted during training, casting doubt over her continued participation in the ongoing World Cup.
The unsettling episode transpired at the team’s Sydney base, leaving her colleagues and staff in a state of shock.
Caicedo, whose stellar performances have made her one of the tournament’s breakthrough stars, was seen in a video running alongside her fellow players.
Abruptly, she came to a halt, gripped her chest, and collapsed.
This sudden fall drew the immediate attention of her distressed teammates and the training staff, who hastily assembled around her.
Among the first to respond was a woman, presumably a trainer, who sprinted toward the collapsed player.
She was promptly followed by other staff members, one of whom was quick to bring a medical kit.
With Caicedo unconscious for nearly a minute and a half, the scene was one of dire urgency as she was readied to be transported to a hospital on a stretcher, The Daily Mail reports.
Remarkably, she regained consciousness just before she was about to be moved, but was still taken to the hospital for further medical evaluation.
While she has since been discharged, the odds of her featuring in Colombia’s upcoming game against Germany are slim.
Addressing the incident, a representative from the Colombian Football Association’s medical team stated that Linda is “very tired,” but assured that she is “back to normal,” Daily Mail notes.
Speculating on the strain of the World Cup, the spokesperson claimed, “What happened was just a symptom of all the stress and physical demands of a World Cup.”
