GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Alexander Dale Oen, age 26, one of the world’s finest competitive swimmers, was found dead in his Arizona hotel room shower Monday 30 April. The medical examiner reported he died of cardiac arrest and there were no signs of foul play. He had been doing high altitude training with his team.
Dale Oen was widely considered a favourite for the London Olympics this summer and he was Norway’s great swimming hope.
The New York Times recalls that “at last summer’s world championships in Shanghai, Dale Oen turned in the most emotionally charged performance of the meet. Competing in the 100 breaststroke final three days after 77 people, mostly children, died in the worst massacre in Norway’s history, he won in 58.71 seconds. It was the fastest time recorded by a swimmer not wearing the now-banned polyurethane suits and the fourth fastest in history.”
Links to other sites: ESPN, New York Times, SuperSport (rival Kitajima’s remarks)
