Ini betol-betol berenang!

US national swimmer dies in overseas race

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Fran Crippen, a medal-winning open-water swimmer on the U.S. national team, told his coach he wasn’t feeling well late in a race before he died in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

The 26-year-old from a family of prominent swimmers in suburban Philadelphia was competing in the FINA Open Water 10-kilometer World Cup in Fujairah, south of Dubai, but failed to finish and was found in the water two hours later, according to Swimming World.

FINA President Julio Maglione of Uruguay said he was told that after eight kilometers Crippen told his coach that he wasn’t feeling well.

“He continued and he was found in the deep of the water,” Maglione said from Acapulco, Mexico, where he was attending Olympic meetings.

Crippen’s family is well-known in the swimming world. Maddy Crippen swam for Villanova and competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Claire Crippen was an NCAA All-American at Virginia, and Teresa Crippen currently swims for the University of Florida and is a member of the U.S. national team

“He was our hero,” said Maddy Crippen, reached at her parents’ home in Conshohocken. “We loved him very much, and we’ll all miss him.”

Maglione said it was the first death in any FINA event.- Yahoo! Sports

Wow! Ini memang betol-betol berenang. Ini barulah dikatakan semangat kesukanan yang tinggi dan semangat kenegaraan yang tinggi. Berlumba biar sampai penamatnya, walau berkecai tulang dari badan, walau bercerai jasad dari nyawa. Inilah baru betol-betol semangat yang kita cari selama ini. Kita bukan nak mencari semangat kesukanan yang dibayar berjuta-juta. Kita tak mencari semangat kesukanan yang hanya mengharapkan kemasyhuran dunia. Apa guna letak duit berjuta ringgit kalau nak lepas qualification round pun susah? Tengok tu, berenang sampaikan tak perasan. Ini baru betol-betol berenang!

..:: my highest condolence to all the Crippen Family for the lost of Fran. ::..