Crippen complained about US support before his death
By Paul Newberry |
December 9, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
NINE days before he died in an open-water race, American Fran Crippen sent an e-mail to the head of USA Swimming, complaining about a lack of financial support and the failure to send coaches to "protect the athletes" at meets.
While two separate investigations into Crippen's on October 23 death will undoubtedly focus on allegations that world governing body FINA failed to ensure safe conditions for the race in the United Arab Emirates, the actions of USA Swimming are also under scrutiny.
Crippen's e-mail to USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus refers to a plan being pushed by former national team coach Mark Schubert that called for increased compensation and making sure someone was on hand to support and watch out for the athletes at major events.
Schubert confirmed that he decided in early September to appoint national youth coach Jack Roach, a former marine and beach lifeguard, as the head open-water coach.
Schubert said he wanted Roach to attend any open-water meet with at least four American competitors the rest of the year, then make sure a coach or representative was at all the biggest meets beginning in 2011. Under that plan, Roach would have been at the race near Dubai in which Crippen lost his life.
"In open water, we always worry about safety," Schubert said. "It's not like a swimming pool when somebody goes to the bottom. You see 'em and you dive in. If you go to the bottom in that sport, nobody sees it and, just like Fran, they find your body two hours later. It's sickening."
But Schubert, a Hall of Fame coach, was fired following allegations of numerous coaches having improper relationships with underage swimmers.
The only person assisting the US team in the Middle East was the father of a swimmer who paid his own way, leading some to wonder if the national governing body did enough to protect its athletes.
Crippen's coach, Dick Shoulberg, said he's convinced the 26-year-old swimmer would not have been allowed to race in potentially dangerous conditions if Roach had been there.
"If Mark Schubert had a representative at the meet, they would have said, 'We're not swimming,'" said Shoulberg, who has been outspoken about beefing up safety for an emerging sport that became part of the Olympics in 2008. "I think Fran would be alive if US swimming would've had more support for its athletes."
Shoulberg stressed that most of his fury is directed at FINA, claiming the meet was moved on short notice to a course without adequate rescue personnel, and that it shouldn't have been held anyway because water temperatures were too warm. Crippen failed to finish the 10-kilometer race and his body was found about two hours later.
FINA and USA Swimming are conducting separate investigations but have yet to issue their findings.
Since Crippen's death, USA Swimming is considering whether to have support staff at the biggest events, but officials stressed it would be impossible to send a national coach to every meet.
"There are races that athletes will continue to go to that are not even on the FINA calendar," said Paul Asmuth, a former marathon swimmer and adviser to the US open-water program. "There's races happening every month somewhere around the world."
Crippen's major concern was someone contaminating the feeding gels and drinks that swimmers rely on over the course of the grueling races, leading to a positive drug test.
"I think the last point is the most critical. When an athlete doesn't have a coach they often have to garner the assistance of local volunteers. In this day and age, it is extremely risky to trust a volunteer in a foreign country with the Gatorade and Gel packs that we are going to consume during the race," Wielgus said.
While two separate investigations into Crippen's on October 23 death will undoubtedly focus on allegations that world governing body FINA failed to ensure safe conditions for the race in the United Arab Emirates, the actions of USA Swimming are also under scrutiny.
Crippen's e-mail to USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus refers to a plan being pushed by former national team coach Mark Schubert that called for increased compensation and making sure someone was on hand to support and watch out for the athletes at major events.
Schubert confirmed that he decided in early September to appoint national youth coach Jack Roach, a former marine and beach lifeguard, as the head open-water coach.
Schubert said he wanted Roach to attend any open-water meet with at least four American competitors the rest of the year, then make sure a coach or representative was at all the biggest meets beginning in 2011. Under that plan, Roach would have been at the race near Dubai in which Crippen lost his life.
"In open water, we always worry about safety," Schubert said. "It's not like a swimming pool when somebody goes to the bottom. You see 'em and you dive in. If you go to the bottom in that sport, nobody sees it and, just like Fran, they find your body two hours later. It's sickening."
But Schubert, a Hall of Fame coach, was fired following allegations of numerous coaches having improper relationships with underage swimmers.
The only person assisting the US team in the Middle East was the father of a swimmer who paid his own way, leading some to wonder if the national governing body did enough to protect its athletes.
Crippen's coach, Dick Shoulberg, said he's convinced the 26-year-old swimmer would not have been allowed to race in potentially dangerous conditions if Roach had been there.
"If Mark Schubert had a representative at the meet, they would have said, 'We're not swimming,'" said Shoulberg, who has been outspoken about beefing up safety for an emerging sport that became part of the Olympics in 2008. "I think Fran would be alive if US swimming would've had more support for its athletes."
Shoulberg stressed that most of his fury is directed at FINA, claiming the meet was moved on short notice to a course without adequate rescue personnel, and that it shouldn't have been held anyway because water temperatures were too warm. Crippen failed to finish the 10-kilometer race and his body was found about two hours later.
FINA and USA Swimming are conducting separate investigations but have yet to issue their findings.
Since Crippen's death, USA Swimming is considering whether to have support staff at the biggest events, but officials stressed it would be impossible to send a national coach to every meet.
"There are races that athletes will continue to go to that are not even on the FINA calendar," said Paul Asmuth, a former marathon swimmer and adviser to the US open-water program. "There's races happening every month somewhere around the world."
Crippen's major concern was someone contaminating the feeding gels and drinks that swimmers rely on over the course of the grueling races, leading to a positive drug test.
"I think the last point is the most critical. When an athlete doesn't have a coach they often have to garner the assistance of local volunteers. In this day and age, it is extremely risky to trust a volunteer in a foreign country with the Gatorade and Gel packs that we are going to consume during the race," Wielgus said.
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