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....
Argh!! I couldn't disagree more.
I agree with you and disagree with lefty on this point, especially with respect to the type of race at issue here. These races are 4-5 laps around a 2000m-2500m course. They have tens, not hundreds, of competitors. The entire course is visible from the start/finish line. Even if you don't number the swimmers, and especially if you do, each swimmer is easy to identify with ordinary binoculars.
You don't need fancy technology, or dogs, or helicopters. All you need is someone at the starting line with a piece of paper, a clipboard, and a pen; a few people with binoculars (or spotting scopes) and walkie-talkies on the shore and at the feeding dock; some kayakers in the water who can both keep watch themselves and take instruction via their own walkie-talkies from the binocular people; and someone at the finish line with the swimmer checklist s/he made at the start. Keeping track of these fit, experienced swimmers should be trivially easy, which is why this death is so appalling.
Elite OWS are aware that full body suits will lead to over-heating so I doubt that anyone was wearing one at this race.
The photos trout posted do show a lot of bare torsos on the men.
Argh!! I couldn't disagree more.
I agree with you and disagree with lefty on this point, especially with respect to the type of race at issue here. These races are 4-5 laps around a 2000m-2500m course. They have tens, not hundreds, of competitors. The entire course is visible from the start/finish line. Even if you don't number the swimmers, and especially if you do, each swimmer is easy to identify with ordinary binoculars.
You don't need fancy technology, or dogs, or helicopters. All you need is someone at the starting line with a piece of paper, a clipboard, and a pen; a few people with binoculars (or spotting scopes) and walkie-talkies on the shore and at the feeding dock; some kayakers in the water who can both keep watch themselves and take instruction via their own walkie-talkies from the binocular people; and someone at the finish line with the swimmer checklist s/he made at the start. Keeping track of these fit, experienced swimmers should be trivially easy, which is why this death is so appalling.
Elite OWS are aware that full body suits will lead to over-heating so I doubt that anyone was wearing one at this race.
The photos trout posted do show a lot of bare torsos on the men.
