Swimmer Dies in 10-K Race: What Really Killed Fran Crippen?

Fran Crippen waves after finishing first and winning the gold medal in the Pan American Games 10 km men's swimming marathon at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro in 2007(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

(CBS/AP) Can hot water and hard work kill an elite athlete?

That's the question being put before race officials in the United Arab Emirates who are being asked tough questions about the racing death of U.S. national team swimmer Fran Crippen.

The 26-year-old died Saturday while finishing the final leg of the Open Water 10-kilometer World Cup off the coast of Dubai.

He "exerted himself more than he could, that's what we know," said Julio Maglione, president of FINA, the body that oversaw the race.

The race winner, Thomas Lurz of Germany, had another idea. He said the water was too hot to race and the schedule too grueling.

Does either theory hold water?

Officially, the water temperature on race day was 84 degrees, though Lurz said it felt closer to 86. He also said several other swimmers complained of swollen fingers and toes and some became confused following their race. Three were hospitalized.

Confusion is a sign of the brain being overheated, experts tell CBS News. But was that enough to kill Crippen?

Surprisingly, there is little research on the effects of hot water on athletes.

Swimmers produce just as much body heat when they race as other athletes, and in cold water that heat is easily dispersed, says Dr. Michael Bergeron, an expert on heat and hydration issues. But in warm water the heat remains trapped in the body, he tells CBS News.

Scientists know a lot about the upper limits for swimming in cold water, as well as for bathing in hot tubs and saunas. But when it comes to exerting one's body in warm water, there's a big question mark says Bergeron, who serves as director of the National Institute for Athletic Health and Performance at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Crippen was at the top of his game when he died. In August, he took silver at a similar event in California and finished fourth in this year's championships for the event.

Crippen's body was found 400 meters from the finish line by fellow swimmers. Ironically, he had complained about inadequate safety precautions shortly before his death - a call that went unanswered.

Results from an autopsy are pending.

[helloall34]

The president of FINA said: "He exerted himself more than he could, that's what we know"

That is a ridiculous statement. Why not just say: We are investigating the cause of death.

People don't die from overexertion. Possible causes are: heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heart attack, knocked in the head by another swimmer in open water, etc... This man died doing something he loved, but his family deserves to know why. FINA looks like a bunch of idiots.

[USLondon]

Swimmers with lean bodies exercising in water temperature above 75/80 F is problematic in that warm water acts as an envelope around the skin and prevents body heat from properly disapating, reduces the muscles ability to manipulate salts (potassium) resulting in loss of muscle strength, dizzyness and acute early fatigue.

71 - 74 F range is what most U.S. collegiate pools are at. I was once a competitive collegiate swimmer and found training/competiting in warm waters akin to being smothered.

[howbizarre]

I was a collegiate swimmer and when I was swimming, the NCAA mandated that pools be between 78F and 82F or the meet didn't take place. I never, never swam in water that was 71 - 74F, most collegiate swim meets will have water temp between 78 and 80F (82 is really too warm).

[howbizarre]

FWIW: Pool temperatures are not 71 - 74 F at college pools:
From the NCAA rules handbook:http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/rules/fielddiagrams/swimming_diving.pdf

Water and Air Temperatures
ARTICLE 13. The water temperature should be between 79 and 81 degrees
Fahrenheit [26? and 27?C] for competition. When possible, the air temperature at deck level shall not be more than four degrees Fahrenheit below the water temperature. It is recommended that in separate diving pools the water should be between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit [28? and 30?C] for competition. Special consideration also should be given to heating and ventilation for the comfort of
spectators and competitors.

[john5673]

Gulf countries normal temperature runs in to 90 degree fer. and that every one knows. Whether our sport coach might have no knowledge. It was open sea competition, and all the swimmers must have been prepared for the water temperature before they jumped in to it. Looks like baby crying to me or our lawyers must be hungry.

[jd2408]

Baby crying ? The man is dead. How could you possibly make such a statement. I would like you to imagine the very worst insult anyone could give you. That is what I would like to say to you.

[SADSFoundation]

It is possible Fran may have had a genetic heart condition that falls under the category of Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS). These conditions lead to sudden death in the young, often athletes.