RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's legendary swimmer Maria Lenk, the first South American female swimmer to compete in the Olympics, passed away on Monday after training in a pool in Rio de Janeiro.

The 92-year-old athlete collapsed during her training session in the morning at the club Flamengo. The clubs physician provided first aid care to Lenk and she was immediately taken to a hospital in Copacabana.

Tests revealed that she had suffered an aneurysm in the aorta and hemorrhage. While preparing for an emergency surgery, she had a cardiac arrest. Then, she had a respiratory arrest due to the shock.

Born Maria Emma Hulga Lenk in 1915, she was the first woman in South America to participate as a competitive swimmer in the Olympics, in 1932 in Los Angeles. She also participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Lenk was the first woman in the world to compete in butterfly swimming, and broke two world records in the 200 meters and 400 meters breaststroke prior to the 1940 Games, which ended up not happening due to World War II.

The athlete entered the Hall of Fame of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1988. Lenk still competed, and held several titles in masters swimming.