Team Great Britain's doctors saved a life in a moment of triumph

The Republic of Uzbekistan Olympic team has had many triumphs in the Paris 2024 games and these are particularly evident in the boxing events. Of the eight gold medals accumulated by the team thus far, five of them have gone to boxers. It is after one of these gold-winning matches that another kind of "Olympic moment" caught attention and it is fortunate that on hand were two members of Team Great Britain's medical staff.

Cries for help amid the celebration

Flyweight fighter Hasanboy Dusmatov has been a fighter to watch since he defeated Colombian boxer Yuberjen Martinez and took home the gold medal for the light flyweight class in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. His return to the Olympics in Paris saw him win gold in the 51 kg category against France's BIllal Bennama on August 8 at Stade Roland Garros.

Returning to the warm-up area, the 31-year-old athlete was exuberant, as were the people who supported and coached him. It was during this time that his coach, Tulkin Kilichev, suffered a cardiac arrest. According to the PA News Agency, it was clear that there was something amiss:

"The (Uzbek) coaching team came back into the warm-up area and they were all celebrating, and then shouting came from that area that wasn’t celebrations at all."

- Robbie Lillis

This quote comes from physio Robbie Lillis, one of the two medical professionals from Team Great Britain who sprang into action. Dr. Harj Singh was the first to respond and "quite a lot of coaches were pretty visibly distressed around the whole situation," continues Lillis.

Life-saving treatment at the Stade

The team doctor began cardiopulmonary resuscitation while Lillis located and set up the defibrillator contained within the trauma bag. The machine advised a shock, which was administered, and after 20-30 seconds more of CPR, Kilichev regained consciousness. Commented Lillis, "It's definitely not my day-to-day job, and I wouldn't like to make a routine of doing it, but thankfully having had the training I was able to carry that out." LIllis' mother described the physio's quick action as "your Olympic moment" and he related that "I don't think I'm going to be forgetting that any time soon."

Dr. Singh hopes to visit Kilichev in the hospital to which he was transported. "It puts things into perspective...At some stage, we will endeavour to go to the hospital. If it could be arranged, I think that would be quite emotional for the both of us."

One of France's core principles is fraternite or brotherhood and it is wonderful that Team GB's staff demonstrated that when responding to this crisis.