Many voices have echoed their feelings about the tragic passing of Alexander Dale Oen last night, but the most powerful yet came in the last 10 minutes, as his fellow Norwegian elite swimmer Gard Kvale became the first swimmer to speak out of the Flagstaff group that found him deceased last night.
His statement, translated to English:
“Thanks for all of the messages. As Alexander showed us during the World Championships last year we are stronger when we stand together. our team consists of a group of athletes, coaches and support staff who are all in deep sorrow but will help each other get through this difficult time. All thoughts are with Dale Oen family back home in Norway, which has incredibly heavy. Rest in peace Alex.”