Laurent Vidal Emerges from Coma Following Heart Attack

Top ITU triathlete Laurent Vidal has emerged from a medically induced coma following a heart attack he suffered in training. Vidal went into cardiac arrest after experiencing chest pains while swimming. Upon waking up, Vidal tweeted, “Hello world,” and is showing signs of making a positive recovery.

In 2011 Vidal underwent a series of tests after losing consciousness during a race in Sydney. He was diagnosed with neurocardiogenic syncope, a nerve problem that causes a sudden drop in blood pressure, but the condition was not thought to be dangerous.

The 30 –year-old Vidal is engaged to leading New Zealand triathlete Andrea Hewitt and the two split their time between Sete and Christchurch. He describes himself on his website as an “adopted Kiwi” and trains with their high performance team. Hewitt has been at Vidal’s bedside since flying to France to be with him on Saturday. In an earlier tweet Hewitt expressed her gratitude for the support for they had received: “Thank you everyone for your kind words for Laurent,” she wrote.

“Shocked and so worried!

Vidal finished 10th at a world cup race in New Plymouth last month and was showing great early season fitness.