The 2nd-annual Fran Crippen 10k International Cup Race in Miromar Lakes, Florida has taken on a renewed mission, given the happenings in open water swimming in the last 6 months.
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Specifically, for the first time since the death of American open water star Fran Crippen in a race in 2010, FINA has awarded a stop of the 2015 Open Water World Cup tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that hosted the race where Crippen died.
That race is scheduled for March 13th in Abu Dhabi, though there’s still a “tbc” next to the event on FINA’s official website.
Don Henshaw of the Gulf Coast Swim Team, the meet’s host, says that this year’s race is “trying to go head to head with the UAE and support the USA Swimming boycott of the event and location where Fran Crippen tragically died.”
Henshaw is referring to a wide-spread American athletes’ intent to boycott this year’s race in the UAE, and USA Swimming saying publicly that while it won’t prevent its athletes from attending the race, that it won’t provide the support for them to go either. USA Swimming is avoiding the term “boycott” on an organization-level, saying that they have no planned effort to block American athletes from going, but that they are just not providing funding or support services for the event.
The race will be held at the same site as this year’s World Championship Trials event, giving it an even bigger appeal to American open water swimmers beyond honoring the fallen Crippen.
And if that weren’t motivation enough, organizers are hoping to raise a $20,000 prize purse that will match the money being given away at the UAE race. Thanks to donations from the community (many of which have been anonymous), the purse is up to $18,500 so far, according to Fran’s sister Teresa Crippen, with additional travel support having also been donated.
Teresa Crippen is spearheading the Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation’s involvement in the race.
“We are thrilled people in the US have taken on this project and we are building safe opportunities for our athletes to compete here in the US,” says another Crippen sibling, Maddy.
A month of festivities at Miromar Lake has been dubbed an “Open Water Festival,” and includes:
- the primary Crippen 10K Cup on March 28th
- the April 24th National Championship 10K
- the April 25th National Age Group Open Water Invitational
- the April 25th Crippen Sunset Mile/Buddy Swim
- the April 26th USA Swimming 5K National Championship
- the April 26th Florida Swimming Open Water Championships
- the April 26th LSC Challenge
- The April 26th Open Water Festival Race (non-FL LSC members)
Last year’s Crippen Cup race was won by Ashley Twichell on the women’s side (in a great battle with Christine Jennigs and Emily Brunemann); and Olympian Alex Meyer on the men’s side.