Full story:
www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../25369.asp
Excerpt:
Passages: Fran Crippen, 26 - FINA, USA Swimming Release Statements -- October 23, 2010
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates, October 23. SHORTLY after the FINA Open Water 10K World Cup swim today in the UAE, United States swimmer Fran Crippen, 26, passed away after falling unconscious during the race.
With the water in the mid-to-high 80s, the competitors all finished and noticed that Crippen had not crossed the finish line. Meet management brought in deep sea divers, who found Crippen unconscious just before the final buoy nearly two hours later. He was transported to the Fujairah Hospital and later died according to information provided to Swimming World. Conflicting reports state that he was found dead on the course.
Crippen had shown signs of slowing down during the third lap of the five-lap race. When Crippen did not immediately finish, a fact noticed by teammate Alex Meyer who screamed for help, the competing swimmers rushed back into the water to help with the search.
Information provided to Swimming World demonstrates that the water was likely too hot for the event as several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion after the race....
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Of course, entry fees are not the financial incentive. They do have qualifying races for the FINA World Cup. Then if you qualify for the circuit, you can receive prize money, but only if you complete at least six of the eight races including the last one (this UAE race was the mandatory last race). As in any professional sport, advertising is the financial incentive for people to organize competitions, and prize money and appearance fees are the incentives for people to compete in them.
What these professional athletes need, apparently, is a union.
We had a professional swimming federation formed in 1954. It was called the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation it governed all races in the USA and Canada and the rest of the Americas. It made sure we were protected in our races.
FINA is new to long distance swimming and could have learned form the WPMSF. The other Federation that looked after distance swimmers was an organization in Egypt. The were also very good at protection of the swimmer.
Of course, entry fees are not the financial incentive. They do have qualifying races for the FINA World Cup. Then if you qualify for the circuit, you can receive prize money, but only if you complete at least six of the eight races including the last one (this UAE race was the mandatory last race). As in any professional sport, advertising is the financial incentive for people to organize competitions, and prize money and appearance fees are the incentives for people to compete in them.
What these professional athletes need, apparently, is a union.
We had a professional swimming federation formed in 1954. It was called the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation it governed all races in the USA and Canada and the rest of the Americas. It made sure we were protected in our races.
FINA is new to long distance swimming and could have learned form the WPMSF. The other Federation that looked after distance swimmers was an organization in Egypt. The were also very good at protection of the swimmer.
