Did Water Temperature Factor in Death of US Swimmer?
- Posted on October 24, 2010 at 10:09pm by
Scott Baker
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A day after U.S. national team swimmer Fran Crippen died during an open-water race in the United Arab Emirates, the winner of the event said the water and air temperatures were too high to hold a competition.
Thomas Lurz of Germany criticized both swimming’s governing body and race organizers Sunday, saying conditions were too hot for racing, that FINA‘s schedule was too grueling and that organizers should have done more to ensure swimmers’ safety in the Open Water 10-kilometer World Cup held at Fujairah, east of Dubai, on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Crippen, from a family of prominent swimmers in suburban Philadelphia, failed to finish and was found in the water two hours later, about 400 meters from the finish, organizers said.
FINA’s president said Sunday that “overexertion” led to Crippen’s death and FINA had launched in investigation into the tragedy.
“What we know initially is that he exerted himself more than he could, that’s what we know,” said FINA President Julio Maglione of Uruguay, attending an International Olympic Committee conference in Acapulco, Mexico. Maglione said he was told that after eight kilometers Crippen informed his coach that he wasn’t feeling well.
Race officials said a medical report and autopsy on Crippen had been completed, but declined to release their full details to the media.
Swimmers complained of the warm water temperatures, but Ayman Saad, executive director of the UAE swimming association, played down heat as a factor, saying that the water temperature was 84 degrees at the start of the race, which was held in the ocean on a triangular 2-kilometer course behind a breakwater.
All safety measures were in place including lifeguards, boats and divers, Saad said, adding that FINA had signed off on everything before the race started.
Usually at open-water races, a boat follows the last swimmer on the course.
“What I think happened is that the swimmers were in various groups. This is what I heard,” FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told The AP. “On the last feeding station the coach was talking to him. But I really don’t know. We have to wait for the investigation and then we will come up with our position on this. Otherwise it’s only speculation.”
Lurz insisted temperatures must have been above 86 degrees and that several swimmers suffered due to the heat. He said he talked to many swimmers who complained of swollen fingers and toes, water loss, and he saw several who had become confused following their race.
“The water was amazingly hot,” Lurz said. “Nobody thought such things like yesterday could happen. … It shows it was really just too hot. It was not just one swimmer. There were many swimmers who had serious problems in the water.”
FINA’s rules place no limit on how warm water can be to hold a race.
Besides Crippen, three other swimmers — two U.S. women and one Brazilian — were taken to the hospital. All were to be released by Monday. Their names had not been officially released, but included Brazilian Allan Do Carmo and American Eva Fabian.
Maglione maintained that organizers followed FINA’s rules.
“Apart from the investigation, we are awaiting a report from our technical director, who says that everything was normal according to the regulations,” Maglione said. “They told me … the medical report said it was huge overexertion, that’s what they told me.”
Gunnar Werner of Sweden, a member of FINA’s legal commission and a former FINA honorary member, will lead the investigation and was to arrive at the race site late Sunday.
“When he finishes his inquiry we’ll put out our position,” Marculescu said. “We understand that they have the medical report in Arabic and they will translate it to English and send it to us. Probably tomorrow we will have it in the office.
“This is a swimmer with a lot of experience. He was a fantastic guy and he came from a big swimming family. We’ve never had something like that happen in our sport before. I’m sorry for him and his family.”
Crippen was the silver medalist in the 10K at the Pan Pacific championships in August, earned a bronze medal in the 10K at the 2009 world championships, was national champion in the 5K in 2009, and won a gold medal in the 10K at the 2007 Pan American Games.
Crippen finished fourth in the 10K and fifth in the 5K at this year’s world championships.
Lurz, a nine-time open water champion, said Crippen’s death highlighted the need for changes within the World Cup circuit, including setting a maximum temperature and easing rules that require a swimmer to finish the final race to gain points crucial to moving up the rankings and earning prize money.
Lurz speculated it was probably Crippen’s desire to finish the race that cost him his life.
“I’m sure he tried everything because he is a sportsman …” Lurz said. “He would never give up.”
Swimmers were the first to respond when Crippen failed to arrive at the finish. Several returned to the water to search for him and were soon followed by police and coast guard divers. Crippen’s body was found just before the last buoy on the course, race organizers said.
Crippen was rushed to shore and transported to Fujairah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“It was unacceptable that swimmers were searching for another swimmer. That is horrible. This can’t be,” Lurz said. “Swimmers go under water in seconds. There need to be more boats, jet skis, canoes who can take care of every swimmer.”
Swimming officials in the UAE canceled the 15km open-water event that was scheduled to be held Wednesday at the same location.
The 10K race is the only open-water discipline that is an Olympic event, having made its debut at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Swimmers and officials gathered at the race site Sunday and held an impromptu memorial service. Many had tears in their eyes and some veterans such as Angela Maurer of Germany openly wept in the arms of her husband.
“It was our way of saying goodbye to a friend and fellow competitor,” Lurz said.
___
AP Sports Writers Andrew Dampf in Rome, Stephen Wilson and Mark Walsh in Acapulco and Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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Unshod
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 11:38pmMost people are unfamiliar with open water long distance swimming and may not appreciate what a grueling event a 10k swim is. In very general terms a 10k swim is similar to running a marathon. Thinking of this race where Mr. Crippen past away, it would be as if you were to run a marathon when the air temp is 87 degrees on a very humid day and you had to breathe through a device that heats the air to 100 degrees. If an athlete were having a bad day (which everyone does) with an illness, nutrition, hydration, they could get into trouble very easily.
Report Post »Eyeball
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:56pmLooks like a new water temp rule needs to be implemented or a boat per person for monitoring.
Report Post »magicboop
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 11:36amSounds just like heat exhaustion but in hot water. Crazy, and I didn’t even know that that was possible. 84 degrees doesn’t sound like too hot to swim in, but apparently it is.
Report Post »Deutscher
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:37am“cut and paste” is not always your friend.
Report Post »sobeit
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:27amI’m an open water swimmer (age 56) and this really hit home. I swam a two mile open water swim in St. Croix two years ago and it was right after a major hurricane. There was only one station to get water and it was more like a ship, but I didn’t find this out until after I started the race. They were throwing bottles down to us, but I couldn’t seem to catch one, so I had to keep swimming. After that point, I lost the group that I was pacing and felt all alone with no boats or anyone in site for almost a mile to the finish. This really puts everything in perscpective…I count my blessings that I was able to finish. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:35amOfficials investigating officials….fix is in, Crippen will still be dead and this whole thing will go away.
Report Post »We Americans have become such fools…….
jcapers
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 7:28am84°F is pretty warm for a distance swimming event. The rulebook for United States Swimming (USS) call for a pool temperature of 78° – 80°F. Warmer than that makes it more difficult for the smimmers to dissapate body heat as they exercise. My sympathy goes out to the Crippen family.
JOHNDOE – Although I agree with you, let’s stay on subject! It‘s called blogger’s etiquette.
Report Post »Proud American in Buffalo
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:16pmHot Temps (over 100 Degrees) Warm and salty water. Add over taxing of your body and you have a recipe for disaster.
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 2:57amWhat a sad story! What his family and girlfriend must be going through. May God bless them!
http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
Report Post »GrumpyCat
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 12:41amThe organizers repeated insisted that they followed the rules, as if that is enough. Far too many people act as if something is legal then it is OK or good enough. Just because the speed limit is 70 MPH doesn’t mean that 70 MPH is safe for everyone, for everyplace, under any weather condition.
Report Post »Nobull
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 12:32amYour comment has nothing to do with the post, although I may agree with your points this is not the place to spam your comments.
Report Post »audreyn
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:37pmMy heart goes out for his loved ones. May God bring comfort to them.
Report Post »eteme
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:26pmSounds very plausible and dehydration in Salt water…yes I imagine him kicking it in to overdrive and his ticker just gave out on him. Sad set of circumstances for sure. It doesn’t make since for “funny business”…
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:20pmI really don’t like to think about all the different ways we can just drop dead at any given moment. I guess at least he lived life.
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:44pmTrue, I heard one time that to live your life to the fullest potential at any one time, you must be willing to love what you do at each moment of time. Don’t remember if it goes exactly like that, or who said it, yet hope it is relevant.
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:19pmMy prayers are extended to his surviving family and friends, may the almighty keep them safe and comfort them all in their time of grieving, and let his memory continue to be an inspiration for the generations to come.
Amen.
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:21pmAmen.
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:28pmSnow, you are right. I should not have taken offense at the stupidity of the question in the report but it caught me as logically wrong. What I should have been looking at was the loss that occurred. You did that and I commend you. A terrible loss indeed and I will say a prayer for the family.
Report Post »ILOVEJESUS
Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:37amThis is a tragety. May God bring peace to those that loved him.
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:18pmDoes the environment you are in have an impact on your heath? Really is that the question? The answer is yes. You can count on other factors, but yes, being on a battlefield might have an impact on your life.
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 24, 2010 at 11:42pmTruthtalker I read your entyr under my posting, and say thanks for the reply, also I do understand the question of what in the enviornemt caused his death, if anything(s). Most people try to understand the why part first, and that is understandable, especially when other people could be in danger depending on the event.
As a chaplain, I deal with death and such on the other side of the line, there is nothing wrong with either side, as I often have to wonder the why they died and what of, and never learn the causes, I just have to help deal with the shattered peices.
Again thanks.
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