Fran Crippen facts for kids

Francis "Fran" Crippen (born April 17, 1984 – died October 23, 2010) was an American long-distance swimmer. He started his career as a pool swimmer. Later, in 2006, he switched to open water swimming. Fran won seven medals in big international swimming events. Five of these medals were in open water races, and two were in pool races. Sadly, Fran Crippen passed away during an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates in 2010. He was 26 years old.

Fran Crippen's Life Story

Fran Crippen was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1984. His parents were Pete and Pat Crippen. He went to Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 2002. There, he swam for a very successful coach named Dick Shoulberg.

Early Swimming Days

Fran started swimming when he was six years old. He was inspired by his older sister, Maddy Crippen. All three of his sisters were also competitive swimmers! Maddy was an Olympian in 2000. His sister Claire was an NCAA All-American swimmer. His youngest sister, Teresa Crippen, won a gold medal at the Pan-American Games.

Fran was a talented high school swimmer. In 1999, when he was just 14, he was chosen for the U.S. Junior National Team. He trained for many hours each day.

College Years

After high school, Fran went to the University of Virginia. He graduated in 2006 with a degree in sociology. While at the University of Virginia, he was a member of the swim team. He became an 11-time All-American and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) swimmer of the year twice.

Fran Crippen's Swimming Career

Fran Crippen had a very successful swimming career, both in the pool and in open water.

Pool Swimming Achievements

In 2001, Fran won a bronze medal for USA Swimming at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. At the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, he earned two silver medals. These were for the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle races.

Open Water Swimming Achievements

In 2006, Fran started competing in open water swimming. He represented the United States at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. There, he won a silver medal in the 10-kilometer open water swim.

In 2007, he won a gold medal in the 10-kilometer open water event at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two years later, in 2009, Fran earned a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer open water race at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships. In 2010, he won another silver medal in the 10-kilometer race at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California.

Fran Crippen was also a six-time US National Champion. He won two national titles in the 800-meter freestyle. He also won two titles in the 5-kilometer open water race and two in the 10-kilometer open water event. During his swimming career, Fran was supported by TYR Sports and Swimming, Inc.

Fran Crippen's Death

Fran Crippen passed away during the last race of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. This happened on October 23, 2010. He had won the race before this one, in Cancun, Mexico.

The Race and Discovery

During the race, other swimmers noticed that Fran was missing at the finish line. His fellow USA swimmer, Alex Meyer, and others went back into the water to look for him. About two hours after the race ended, and after 90 minutes of searching, Fran's body was found underwater. He was near the last buoy of the race course, about 500 yards from the shore. Fran was taken to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead.

Race Conditions and Investigation

The winner of the race, Thomas Lurz, and other swimmers said the water was very warm, over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Several other swimmers also felt sick from the heat after finishing the race. Some even had to go to the hospital briefly.

FINA president Dr. Julio Maglione stated that it was the first death in any FINA event. An investigation was immediately started. Fran had told his coach during the race that he felt thirsty, but he kept swimming. A report released by FINA after his death suggested that Fran might have died from a heart problem and asthma, made worse by the hot water and tough race conditions. The report also called for new safety rules in open water swimming.

Making Open Water Swimming Safer

After Fran Crippen's death, many people in the swimming world were upset about the lack of safety rules at the race.

New Safety Rules

Dick Pound, a former vice president of the International Olympic Committee, led a separate investigation through USA Swimming. This was because of concerns about the international swimming group, FINA. Fran's former coach, Dick Shoulberg, and the Crippen family continue to push FINA to adopt new safety regulations.

In USA Swimming, changes are being made to keep athletes safer. For example, organizers of an open water swim in Fort Myers changed the time of their race. They did this because the water temperature might have been too high.

Water Temperature Limits

United States Masters Swimming (USMS) has added a new rule about warm water conditions. For swims of 5 kilometers or longer, the race cannot start if the water temperature is over 29.45 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit). For shorter swims, the water temperature cannot be over 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Coach Shoulberg is also asking FINA to rethink holding races in Shanghai during the summer because of the extreme heat there. These changes aim to prevent similar tragedies and make open water swimming safer for everyone.

See also

In Spanish: Francis Crippen para niños

• List of University of Virginia people