An unidentified Algerian athlete remains in hospital after collapsing with heatstroke at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples ©Naples 2019

Naples 2019 officials have revealed that an Algerian sprinter is still hospitalised in Naples after collapsing from heatstroke in the athletes warm up area of the San Paolo Stadium.

The name of the athlete has not been made public. 

"He is out of danger but his life had been in danger," Roberto Outeirino, director of port and operations at Naples 2019, revealed.

He said the sprinter was rushed to the city’s Cardarelli hospital after passing out in the warm up area.

"It happened in the stadium," said Outeirino.

"He was not even competing.

"It was in the warm up area, so it was very weird.

"The first thing they did was measure the oxygen content of his blood and his body temperature was 42 degrees."

The unnamed Algeria athlete - a sprinter - collapsed in the warm up area of San Paolo Stadium, home to Serie A football club SSC Napoli, Naples 2019 officials have revealed ©Naples 2019
The unnamed Algeria athlete - a sprinter - collapsed in the warm up area of San Paolo Stadium, home to Serie A football club SSC Napoli, Naples 2019 officials have revealed ©Naples 2019

Temperatures across the Campania region this week have topped 35 degrees celsius with air temperatures only dropping to around 30 degrees celsius in the evening.

Medical staff discovered that the athlete’s family had a history of dehydration.

"They did a study of his family and It seems that two members of his family in the past had sudden deaths, so that preoccupied the doctors a lot," Outeirino said.

"He is out of danger but we are not sending him back home until we know what happened."

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