Francis "Fran" Crippen (April 17, 1984 – October 23, 2010) was an American long-distance swimmer. After being a pool swimmer for most of his career, Crippen made the transition to open water where he had tremendous success. On the international level, Crippen won seven medals, with five being in the open water and two in the pool. Crippen died while competing in an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates, competing for the US in the World Cup.
While competing in an open water swimming race in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, teammate Alex Meyer noticed Crippen did not cross the line. Crippen had fallen unconscious during the final leg of the 10-kilometer race in Fujairah, according to Swimming World. Nearly two hours after every other swimmer had finished the event, deep sea divers found Crippen just before the final buoy. The water temperature was reported to have been in the mid- to high-80s, and several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion at a nearby hospital after the event.
A day before the race Crippen told his coach that he wasn't feeling well. FINA president Dr. Julio Maglione said it was the first death in any FINA event.
Updated: 10/25/10 "The official word coming out of the UAE ... is that he died from drowning. So now we have to go and figure out exactly how that happened because obviously Fran was a swimmer who was in peak physical shape," the swimmer's sister, Maddy Crippen, told CNN.
The loss of Crippen hit hard in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he grew up in a family of swimmers. Crippen was on target to achieve his goal of being an Olympian -- a dream cut short.
Crippen won bronze in the 10-kilometer event at the 2009 FINA World Championships and was the gold medalist in the same event at the 2007 Pan American Games, according to USA Swimming. His family released a statement thanking Crippen's fans and friends for their support: "Fran's life was filled with passion, whether it was swimming for the U.S. or cheering on his beloved Philadelphia Phillies. We take some solace knowing he passed while doing what he loved most, swimming."
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