Fran Crippen
Encyclopedia
Francis "Fran" Crippen was an American long-distance
swimmer
. After being a pool swimmer for most of his career, Crippen made the transition to open water swimming
in 2006 where he had tremendous success. In international competitions, Crippen won seven medals, five of which were in the open water and two in the pool. Crippen died during an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates
.
, where he was an 11-time All-American and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) swimmer of the year. He earned a bronze medal as a member of USA Swimming at the 2001 Goodwill Games
in Brisbane
, Australia
. At the 2003 Pan American Games
, in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
, he won two individual silver medals in the 400 and 1500 m freestyle. Crippen represented the United States at the Pan Pacific Championships
in 2006, where he earned a silver medal in the 10 km open water swim. From 2006 to 2008 Crippen represented the Mission Viejo Nadadores in California and swam for coach Bill Rose. In 2007, he earned a gold medal in the 10 km distance event at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. Two years later, Crippen won a bronze medal in the 10 km open water race at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
. A year later, Crippen again won silver in the 10 km at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
in Irvine, California
. Crippen was a six-time US National Champion. He won two national titles in the 800 m freestyle, two in the 5 km open water, and two in the 10 km open water event. He represented Germantown Academy Aquatic Club in Fort Washington, PA. He also represented TYR Sport, Inc.
, Pennsylvania
, in 1984, the son of Pete and Pat Crippen. He is a 2002 graduate of Germantown Academy
in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
. Crippen graduated from the University of Virginia in 2006 where he majored in sociology
.
Crippen started swimming at the age of six because of his sister, Maddy
. He had three sisters who are competitive swimmers. His sister Maddy was a 2000 Olympian in the 400 individual medley and swam for Villanova University
. His sister Claire is a national finalist, an NCAA All-America and currently swims for the University of Virginia. His third sister Teresa
is a Pan American Games Champion in the 200 meter backstroke and U.S. national team member.
's 2010 10K series
in Fujairah, UAE
; after having won the penultimate race in Cancun, Mexico the weekend before. Crippen's absence at the finish was reportedly first noticed by fellow USA swimmer Alex Meyer
. Presumably after searching for Crippen and not finding him, Meyer and other swimmers returned to the water to try to locate Crippen. Two hours after the finish of the men's race, and after 90 minutes of searching by other swimmers, Crippen's body was found underwater by deep-sea divers near the race course's final buoy about 500 yards from shore. Crippen was rushed to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, though it was suspected he died at the scene. Winner Thomas Lurz
and other swimmers cited the water as being overly warm—above 30 °C (86 °F) during the race—and several other swimmers experienced heat-related symptoms upon completing the race, including 2 Americans and 1 Brazilian who were briefly hospitalized.
FINA
president Dr. Julio Maglione
said it was the first death in any FINA event and an investigation was opened. Crippen had told his coach after 8 kilometers that he was feeling thirsty, yet continued with the race. As reported by news outlet Around the Rings, a report released by FINA following Crippen's death called for an update in open water swimming safety regulations. The report concluded that Crippen may have died of a "cardiac abnormality" and "uncontrolled exercise-induced asthma in unfavorable race environmental conditions."
Long-distance swimming
The distances that distinguish long distance swimming from ordinary swimming are those distances that are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than outright speed, the more likely it is to be considered a long distance swim...
swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. After being a pool swimmer for most of his career, Crippen made the transition to open water swimming
Open water swimming
Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, canals, and reservoirs.The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont from Europe to Asia.In...
in 2006 where he had tremendous success. In international competitions, Crippen won seven medals, five of which were in the open water and two in the pool. Crippen died during an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
.
Career
Crippen swam for the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he was an 11-time All-American and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) swimmer of the year. He earned a bronze medal as a member of USA Swimming at the 2001 Goodwill Games
2001 Goodwill Games
The 2001 Goodwill Games was the fifth and final edition of the international multi-sport event. The competition was held in Brisbane, Australia from 29 August to 9 September 2001. A total around 1300 athletes took part in 14 sporting competitions....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At the 2003 Pan American Games
Swimming at the 2003 Pan American Games
The Swimming Competition at the 2003 Pan American Games took place in the outdoor swimming pool at the side of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...
, in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, he won two individual silver medals in the 400 and 1500 m freestyle. Crippen represented the United States at the Pan Pacific Championships
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships is a long course swimming event first held in 1985. The meet was initially staged biennially , to allow for an international championship-level meet in the non-Olympic and non-World Championships years...
in 2006, where he earned a silver medal in the 10 km open water swim. From 2006 to 2008 Crippen represented the Mission Viejo Nadadores in California and swam for coach Bill Rose. In 2007, he earned a gold medal in the 10 km distance event at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Two years later, Crippen won a bronze medal in the 10 km open water race at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
. A year later, Crippen again won silver in the 10 km at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The eleventh edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, also known as the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in Irvine, California, United States, from August 18–22....
in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. Crippen was a six-time US National Champion. He won two national titles in the 800 m freestyle, two in the 5 km open water, and two in the 10 km open water event. He represented Germantown Academy Aquatic Club in Fort Washington, PA. He also represented TYR Sport, Inc.
Personal
Crippen was born in Bryn MawrBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in 1984, the son of Pete and Pat Crippen. He is a 2002 graduate of Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy is America's oldest nonsectarian day school, founded on December 6, 1759 . Germantown Academy is now a K-12 school in the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington, having moved from its original Germantown campus in 1965...
in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.-Prior to the Revolutionary War:...
. Crippen graduated from the University of Virginia in 2006 where he majored in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Crippen started swimming at the age of six because of his sister, Maddy
Maddy Crippen
Madeleine Crippen is a former female medley swimmer from the United States, and daughter of Peter and Patrica Crippen...
. He had three sisters who are competitive swimmers. His sister Maddy was a 2000 Olympian in the 400 individual medley and swam for Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. His sister Claire is a national finalist, an NCAA All-America and currently swims for the University of Virginia. His third sister Teresa
Teresa Crippen
Teresa Crippen is an American college and international swimmer.At the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Crippen won the gold medal in the 200 m backstroke and the silver in the 400 m individual medley...
is a Pan American Games Champion in the 200 meter backstroke and U.S. national team member.
Death
Crippen died while swimming the last race of FINAFina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
's 2010 10K series
FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup
The FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup is a series of 10-kilometer, open water swimming races held annually since 2007. Prior to 2007, 10K races were held as part of the FINA's Open Water Grand Prix series; post split, this latter series is now for races over 10 kilometers in length...
in Fujairah, UAE
Fujairah
Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...
; after having won the penultimate race in Cancun, Mexico the weekend before. Crippen's absence at the finish was reportedly first noticed by fellow USA swimmer Alex Meyer
Alex Meyer
Alexander Meyer is an American open water swimmer.-Swimming career:At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Meyer was disqualified in the 25 km....
. Presumably after searching for Crippen and not finding him, Meyer and other swimmers returned to the water to try to locate Crippen. Two hours after the finish of the men's race, and after 90 minutes of searching by other swimmers, Crippen's body was found underwater by deep-sea divers near the race course's final buoy about 500 yards from shore. Crippen was rushed to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, though it was suspected he died at the scene. Winner Thomas Lurz
Thomas Lurz
Thomas Lurz is a German swimmer who specializes is long-distance freestyle swimming, especially open water swimming...
and other swimmers cited the water as being overly warm—above 30 °C (86 °F) during the race—and several other swimmers experienced heat-related symptoms upon completing the race, including 2 Americans and 1 Brazilian who were briefly hospitalized.
FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
president Dr. Julio Maglione
Julio Maglione
Dr. Julio César Maglione is a member of the International Olympic Committee from Uruguay. He has been an IOC member since 1996....
said it was the first death in any FINA event and an investigation was opened. Crippen had told his coach after 8 kilometers that he was feeling thirsty, yet continued with the race. As reported by news outlet Around the Rings, a report released by FINA following Crippen's death called for an update in open water swimming safety regulations. The report concluded that Crippen may have died of a "cardiac abnormality" and "uncontrolled exercise-induced asthma in unfavorable race environmental conditions."