Two-time Olympic synchronized swimming champion Maria Shurochkina is fighting for her life in critical condition following a residential fire in Moscow, the NY Post reported.
The 31-year-old athlete suffered severe burns when her clothes caught fire while she was refilling a bioethanol fireplace in her 17th-floor apartment.
Medical personnel transported Shurochkina by ambulance to the Sklifosovsky Emergency Research Institute in Moscow. Her condition subsequently deteriorated from moderate to serious, raising immediate medical concerns over potential complications including burn shock, severe dehydration, and infection, according to the Russian outlet Mash.
Shurochkina sustained extensive injuries covering more than 30 percent of her body, with severe burns affecting her head, neck, chest, abdomen, arms, and hands, as reported by the Moskva news agency and cited by Meduza. Doctors are closely monitoring her for tissue necrosis, a dangerous destruction of skin and underlying tissues caused by the thermal trauma.
Security services-linked Telegram channel Mash reported that a preliminary investigation points to a violation of bio-fireplace operating rules as the cause of the ignition. Flammable vapors reportedly caught fire instantly as Shurochkina attempted to refill the unit inside her high-rise residence.
Shurochkina secured back-to-back Olympic gold medals in team synchronized swimming at the 2016 Rio Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games. Beyond her Olympic success, she has claimed 11 gold medals at World Aquatics Championships and six at European championships.
In recognition of her athletic achievements, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Shurochkina the Order of Friendship in 2016 and the Order of Honor in 2021. Following her retirement from competitive sports four years ago, she transitioned into entertainment, performing in theater productions, practicing dance, and opening a Moscow dance school in 2017.
Olympic champion Maria Shurochkina is in the intensive care unit with burns, and her condition is stable, according to her sister, singer Nyusha, who posted about it on social media. – REPORTS FROM RUSSIA
The Russian Aquatic Sports Federation confirmed Shurochkina’s hospitalization and stated that representatives remain in direct contact with both the medical team and the athlete’s family. We wish Maria strength and a speedy recovery,
the federation said in an official statement reported by the NY Post. The Federation will continue to monitor the situation and provide any assistance needed.
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