It is with heavy hearts that the French swimmers return home from the Berlin stop of the World Cup today, as French Swimming Technical Director Christian Donze has passed away from a heart attack.
Donze was effectively the head of the French Federation, and oversaw the rise of France from swimming obscurity to one of the world’s aquatic powers.
In a statement, the French Federation said the following:
We have just learned with amazement the sudden death of Christian Donze, National Technical Director, who suffered a heart attack. In these painful and unexpected circumstances, the President of the Federation and the entire French Swimming together to address the Christian family its deepest condolences and assure him of his support.