DAVE ZARUM
The Argosy (Mount Allison University)

SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) — The shocking death of American long-distance swimmer Fran Crippen at an international meet near Dubai on Oct. 23 has left a number of lingering questions.

The 26-year-old Crippen — a decorated member of the U.S. national team — was competing in the International Swimming Federation’s Open Water 10- kilometre World Cup event, when he was discovered drowned 400 metres from the finish line.

Concern began to mount when Crippen had not been seen following the last buoy, prompting his fellow swimmers to return to the water to search for their missing comrade.

Two hours passed in the gruelling heat before Crippen’s body was found. An autopsy later revealed that the swimmer died from “overexertion.”

In the wake of the tragedy, fingers have been pointing blame in all directions. Most of the blame has been directed towards FINA and the United Arab Emirates swimming confederation. They’re facing criticism for losing a human being in open waters for more than two hours — and rightfully so.

Attempts have been made to justify the high temperatures — upwards of 30 C in the water — despite clearly being unsafe conditions, a sentiment that many swimmers echoed immediately following the race.

Normally, FINA policy requires a boat to trail the last swimmer of any open-water race. Why that didn’t happen with Crippen leaves many perplexed, including FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu, who told reporters, “I really don’t know [what happened]. We have to wait for the investigation and then we will come up with our position on this. Otherwise, it’s only speculation.”

For their part, UAE swimming officials took a much more defensive stance in the face of international criticism.

“We are sorry that the guy died, but what can we do?” asked Ayman Saad, the UAE executive director. “This guy was tired and he pushed himself [too hard].”

The fact remains that this is far from an isolated incident.

In the last decade, a disturbingly high number of athletes have died in the midst of competition.

Korey Stringer, an offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings, passed away during a training camp scrimmage in 2001 due to extreme hydration. This past February, 21-year-old Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili perished while taking part in a practice run the day before the opening ceremonies for the Vancouver Olympics.

So how do we avoid this and can we? Following Stringer’s death, the NFL implemented stricter rules that enforced mandated water breaks during practice, but in almost every case athletic organizations seem to only seek remedies retroactively.

The shock waves from Fran Crippen’s death, like those before him, reverberate well beyond the athletic world. It serves as a chilling reminder of just how quickly things change in life — UAE officials declared Tuesday that an autopsy revealed he died in “one second” — and how utterly powerless we are to stop it.

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image: FranCrippen.com