Open Water Swimmer Fran Crippen Died This Weekend

Added by Tania Sullivan on October 26, 2010

Francis Crippen, swimmer who won a world championship medal, dies this weekend during the World Cup Marathon Swimming 10km, in the United Arab Emirates.

The American swimmer died last Saturday after he won back in 2009 a bronze medal for 10 kilometers at the World Championships in Rome and this year another bronze medal at the Canadian open water championships.

FINA stated with regard to Fran Crippen’s death that ‘while the causes of this death remain under investigation, FINA and the entire aquatic community address, in this moment of grief, their deepest and sincere condolences to his family, friends and to U.S. Aquatic Sports and the USA Swimming family’.

Francis Crippen had hopes of becoming the first US open water swimmer medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Crippen came from a family of swimmers. His younger sister, Teresa Crippen, is a swimmer for the US National team and the University of Florida, while his older sister Maddy has competed in year 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.

The USA Swimming stated that ‘Fran was a champion swimmer but, more importantly, a tremendous person, and he will be remembered for so many extraordinary qualities’, as the United States Olympic Committee also felt saddened for the your swimmer’s death.