Francis Crippen was an American long-distance swimmer.
15 Facts About Fran Crippen
1.
2.
In international competitions, Fran Crippen won seven medals, five of which were in the open water and two in the pool.
3.
Fran Crippen died during an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 at the age of 26.
4.
Fran Crippen was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1984 to Pete and Pat Fran Crippen.
5.
Fran Crippen started swimming at the age of six because of his sister Maddy, as she and his other two sisters are all competitive swimmers.
6.
Fran Crippen's sister Claire is an NCAA All-American and Olympic Trials qualifier who swam for the University of Virginia.
7.
Teresa Fran Crippen is a Pan-American Games Champion in the 200 meter backstroke and US national team member.
8.
Fran Crippen swam for the University of Virginia, where he was an 11-time All-American and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference swimmer of the year.
9.
Fran Crippen graduated from the University of Virginia in 2006 where he majored in sociology.
10.
Fran Crippen earned a bronze medal as a member of USA Swimming at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia.
11.
From 2006 to 2008 Fran Crippen trained with the Mission Viejo Nadadores in California and swam for coach Bill Rose, who specialized in training distance swimmers.
12.
Fran Crippen died while swimming the last race of FINA's 2010 10K series in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates after having won the penultimate race in Cancun, Mexico the weekend before.
13.
Two hours after the finish of the men's race, and after 90 minutes of searching by other swimmers, Fran Crippen's body was found underwater by deep-sea divers near the race course's final buoy about 500 yards from shore.
14.
Fran Crippen was rushed to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, though it was suspected he died at the scene.
15.
Fran Crippen had told his coach after 8 kilometers that he was feeling thirsty, yet continued with the race.