USA-Swimming has released its official report regarding the inquiry into the unfortunate death of Open Water star Fran Crippen last year. This is days after FINA returned to its independent committee their initial report, albeit with no public statement as to why.
The report (which can be read here) largely outlines safety standards which should be common-sense and common-practice, but most importantly nails down a protocol for which these standards should be enforced (which was previously lacking in the sport). The report does acknowledge, in its beginning, that it is difficult to address the specific circumstances surrounding Fran Crippen’s death until FINA releases its full report, but that it was only a matter of time before an issue like this happened, and so changes needed to be made to the sport’s safety regardless of the cause of Fran Crippen’s death. Even if his passing would not have been prevented by these safety issues (we don’t know that for a fact, and may never), he can still leave a legacy of creating a much safer sport.
There were several specific recommendations outlined in the report, that I think require special attention (remember that these are recommendations, and aren’t binding):
1. A minimum of one water craft with safety personnel per 20 participants- This is a nice minimum starting point, especially in larger races. In events like the FINA Open Water World Cup series, even in the race where Crippen died, it appears that this ratio was met (reportedly 3 boats for about 60 participants), but over a huge course, 3 boats is never enough. This rule covers larger races (which can number as big as in the thousands). But, when coupled with another set of rules, it becomes more relevant to smaller, professional races.
(This rule allows for adjustments to be made by appropriate safety authorities when the course allows for rescues from shore).
2. ALL athletes must be monitored at ALL times, with reaction required in 10 seconds, and reach required in another 20. This means that all-swimmers must be no more than 30 seconds away from safety personnel at any given time, and there must be enough safety personnel to monitor all participants. If Kayaks (which are likely the most economical way to meet this standard) are used for safety, let’s crunch those numbers. An above-average kayaker (though not world class) can probably put out bursts of 11 miles per hour in relatively calm open water. In round numbers, that means a kayaker can go 100-meters in those 20 seconds. Even with more high-powered boats, a whole lot more than 100-meters would make it difficult to meet the first requirement. The UAE course was 2-kilometers long and triangular (swum in laps), meaning that, with some strategic placement of feeding stations, somewhere in the range of 9-10 boats would have been more appropriate.
3. Specific water temperature conditions laid out- No race can be held if the water temperature is below 16 degrees Celcius (or 60.8 degrees Farenheit), or if it is above 31 C (87.8 F). The race in UAE likely would’ve still met these conditions, given that the water temperature is believed to have been no higher than 87 degrees. However, this rule wil also tighten regulation on high air temperatures: If the air and water temperature sum to be greater than 63 Celcius (about 177 F), then the race can’t be held. In Crippen’s situation, this likely would’ve done the race in, thanks to the warm air in the UAE. (These temperatures are based on a report by an Open Water Technical Committee in the Australian state of New South Wales, that we highlighted back in January.)
4. No swimmer should be required to swim in any race to win a series award or prize money- This was a big issue of contention with the race in the UAE. As it was the final, championship stop, swimmers were required to participate to receive series prize money. This created an unsafe, forced participation that made it hard for an athlete to say no. Under these guidelines, no athlete would have to fear retribution or missing out on prize money if they skip a race for it being unsafe.
5. The document also lays out important rules that they feel USA-Swimming should institute regarding participation in events and the presence of members of the USA-S office. The rules are a bit complicated, but in short-terms, it states that USA Swimming should hire a full-time, open water administrator. They also envision USA-Swimming laying out a calendar that will indicate which meets that USA-Swimming staff will be sent to, and in all other meets that they will use the organization’s resources to obtain safety information from FINA. This information will then be given to the athlete (and/or their personal coach) to ensure that the decision to participate with full disclosure.
(During the press conference, it was revealed that Bryce Elser would take over this role. Elser has worked with the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division and is the former swim coach at Huntington Beach High School. For more about this position, see this document from USA Swimming).
These rulings are an important first step, and more importantly, they are realistic. The costs associated with these requirements are unlikely to significantly damage the growth of the sport, but at the same time will improve the safety of participants. Now it’s up to USA-Swimming and FINA to accept these rules, perhaps with some measure of debate and tweaking, and enforce their implementation.