A serious accident with Argentine swimmer Matías Bottoni, 17, marked the final of the National Swimming Championship in the pool of the Olympic Park in Villa Soldati (Buenos Aires). The young man was injured when he reached another swimmer during heating.
Last Saturday (10), when entering the pool the moment another swimmer was leaving, Bottoni crashed into the competitor and fractured a cervical vertebra, which compressed his spinal cord.
His parents, Luciano and Valéria, expressed the severity of the situation, mentioning that doctors said the next few hours will be crucial to his recovery, but there is no expectation that the boy will walk again.
To TV Argentina coach Gustavo D’Andrea reported that the collision was unexpected and fast. He would have hit his head on his back or the rib of another swimmer.
“We competed at the final stage of the senior level, a swimmer to leave the pool went under the streak where he was going to enter, he realizes, tries to deflect and falls on his partner, it was all very fast. When he clashes, the blow is so unusual that when we took him out of the water could no longer move his legs and arms.”
After the accident, Matías was removed from the pool and taken to Santojanni Hospital, where his condition was stabilized and then transferred to the Italian Hospital to emergency surgery.
“Doctors say he won’t recover, but I have faith. With rehab, I hope he will recover as much mobility as possible, I don’t know if to compete as before, but he has a normal life,” said D’Andrea.
He was successfully operated and remains in intensive care, already breathing on his own, under medical follow -up. It must remain there until this Wednesday (14).
“It was the first operation, the way to go is very long and we hope he can move his arms, but the doctor did not give us hope to the lower limbs. On the first night, Mati’s report was critical and on two occasions he was almost gone. When he saw the injury, the neurosurgeon said he had not seen something so shocking for a long time,” said the swimmer’s father to a Rosary Radio.
The other swimmer was also injured, but without gravity.
Given the high costs of the operation, the family and the club organized a collection, gathering 60 million Argentine pesos (R $ 300 thousand, in the official price) in less than 24 hours, with the help of the swimming community and friends.
“We want to thank all the people who came together. It’s impressive how they spread. It’s not that he doesn’t need help, but we wanted to interrupt a little [a arrecadação] Because we don’t want them to think we’re taking advantage. It’s all for Matías, it’s not just the medical part, it’s the adaptation, the mobility and other challenges he will have in the long run, “said his father.
The sportsman, who competed for Rosario’s Gimnasia y before joining the Echesortu FC team, was considered a promise of Argentine swimming. He had been training for six years and aimed to qualify for the South American Youth Championship. He was also part of the junior pre-selection and joined the teams of the Junior Pan American Games 2025 in Asuncion, Paraguay.
According to D’A Andrea, besides a competent swimmer, Matías is also an excellent person, disciplined and responsible. At the time of the accident, the boy had just secured a place in the 200 -meter butterfly final, one of the evidence in which he stood out.
