Colombia's Linda Caicedo collapses at World Cup practice
The Colombian women’s national team had a scare when one of its young players collapsed on the field during a Thursday training session.
Video from a Colombian outlet showed 18-year-old Linda Caicedo running during a practice before grabbing her chest with her right hand.
She then bent over and fell to the ground as some of her teammates surrounded her before she was attended to by what appeared to be medical staff.
After the harrowing scene, a medical spokesperson said that Caicedo was doing better and that she was doing “well.”
“Linda is very tired,” a Colombian FA medical staff member said, according to The Guardian. “What happened was just a symptom of all the stress and physical demands. She is well and all is back to normal.”
Linda Caicedo of Colombia during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Colombia and Korea Republic at Sydney Football Stadium on July 25, 2023. Visionhaus via Getty Images
Caicedo, who made her professional debut at 14 years old in Colombia, battled ovarian cancer a year later and underwent six months of chemotherapy after having a tumor removed.
“Recovery was something that took a long time,” Caicedo told NBC Sports ahead of the 2023 World Cup. “To readjust, to let go of the fear that maybe your teammates are already at a pace, and you have to train more to be able to reach them.”
Caicedo currently plays for Real Madrid and already participated in the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups this year before joining Colombia for the big show.
Linda Caicedo of Colombia celebrates her goal during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Getty Images
She scored the second goal in Colombia’s 2-0 win over South Korea on Monday in Group H play.
Source: New York Post
