Former IOC Vice President Richard Pound will chair the five-person Open Water Review Commission appointed by USA Swimming to review the findings of the independent investigation initiated by USA Swimming into the tragic death of Open Water athlete Fran Crippen (pictured) on 23 October 2010 at a FINA race in the United Arab Emirates.
The Commission will also solicit and consider other pertinent information from appropriate individuals and organizations and develop recommendations for the improvement of safety protocols, procedures, and precautions arising from the death of Crippen. These recommendations will be presented to USA Swimming as well as FINA, which sanctioned the UAE race.
The Commission consists of Pound, Sid Cassidy (Coach and Technical Expert), Harold Cliff (Events Expert), Dr Scott Rodeo (Mediacl Expert) and Erica Rose (Open Water Athlete).
The Commission will make its full report to USA Swimming by the end of March 2011.
Click to read the announcement on USA Swimming.
Crippen was the emotional and inspirational leader of the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team and a dynamic personality on the professional marathon swimming circuit that began after a successful transition from the pool. He is one of 10 honorees to be inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 and honored at the 2011 Global Open Water Swimming Conference in a special celebratory dinner.