Spider bite sends Hungarian swimmer to hospital in Singapore – could miss key races

Hungarian swimmer Henrietta Fángli was rushed to the hospital in Singapore after waking up with a large, painful spider bite on her leg that quickly developed into a serious bacterial infection. The incident has forced her to miss Wednesday’s mixed medley relay at the World Aquatics Championships, a blow to the Hungarian team that had entered the race but could not compete without its only breaststroke swimmer.

The 24-year-old athlete, who previously represented Romania before switching to compete for Hungary, told Magyar Nemzet that the bite initially appeared on Monday morning but worsened significantly by the next day. “It had already started to bother me, but on Tuesday morning, it had swelled up and become hot, and it hurt more when walking,” she explained.

Bacterial infection caused by the spider bite

After consulting with the team doctor and the event’s medical staff, Fángli was sent to a hospital in Singapore, where she spent four to five hours undergoing examinations. Doctors determined that the symptoms were caused by a bacterial infection resulting from the spider bite. She was prescribed medication that is not compatible with competitive sports, making it impossible for her to swim in the Wednesday event.

“I’m feeling better now, but the medicine I was given isn’t compatible with racing,” Fángli said. “We hope I’ll be fit in time for my next events. I really want to swim the 50m breaststroke on Saturday and support the girls in the women’s medley relay.”