FUJAIRAH // The head of the UAE Swim Federation has denied safety was overlooked at the Open Water World Cup race on Saturday during which a swimmer died.
Fran Crippen, 26, died about 400 metres from the finish of the 10km race. Ayman Saad said: "Last year we organised [the race] in the same conditions - and maybe it was worse. It was October 9 and hotter than now. If you go to Facebook you can see how happy they were to swim in the Emirates."
Mr Saad said that nobody had complained about the temperature before the race, but he did call for Fina, the sport's world governing body, to set a maximum of 30°C for races.
However, Christine Jennings, 23, one of three swimmers who were taken to hospital after the race, told the Washington Post that she vomited several times in the water because of the heat.
She said she had to give up racing, and swim on her back with an arm in the air to ask for help. She complained that the response had been slow, saying she eventually struggled to shore with the help of a friend.
Mr Saad refuted those claims and said there had been adequate help at hand - had Jennings asked for it.
"Why didn't she stop for her coach? Why she didn't stop for the judge?" he asked. "Every 200 or 300 metres maximum there is someone there. She didn't say anything, she didn't complain."
The race met regulations set by Fina, but Jennings said there were fewer patrol boats than usual.
"It was a disaster," Jennings said. "I'm floating on my back for several minutes, thinking 'Why isn't anybody checking on me?'"
Jennings and fellow American Eva Fabian, 17, were treated for dehydration and heat exhaustion. Fujairah Police interviewed them but Jennings said she was not interviewed by swimming officials.
Mr Saad said the news story was the first he had heard that Jennings had signalled for assistance.
"Nobody said this to us," he said. "We had everything. Nobody complained. We had a technical committee meeting with all the swimmers and coaches the day before and we answered all the questions before the race.
"Nobody asked about the temperature. They swam one day before and nobody said anything."
The water temperature at the end of the race was 31°C, according to race officials, but Jennings and Germany's Thomas Lurz, the nine-times open water champion who won the event, claimed the water was much hotter, a claim Mr Saad expressed disbelief at.
As well as setting a maximum water temperature, Mr Saad also asked for the number of participants to be cut.
As the sport's popularity has risen with its introduction as an Olympic sport in 2008, officials have been unable to provide adequate supervision for the growing number of swimmers, he said.
About 20 to 30 swimmers competed when the UAE began hosting open-water Fina events in 2002. There were more than 80 in the water on Saturday.
"If we want our sport to grow we need to do more to make it safe for the people," said Mr Saad.
"When we have 82 swimmers in the water, we cannot put 82 lifeguards. If you have 30 swimmers you can have more security and more focus on the swimmers."
Judges and coaches at five stations, jetskis and boats monitored swimmers at the two-kilometre circuit.
"All associations have to send a professional coach, not a family coach," said Mr Saad. "For every two swimmers there should be at least one person to feed the swimmer and look for them."
Crippen had expressed similar concerns to the executive director of USA Swimming earlier this month, reported the Washington Post.
"Once at the events, our swimmers are typically on their own to find assistance," he wrote.
"An open water swimmer needs a coach to represent them at the pre-race meetings, coach them during practice, and, most importantly, feed them during the event."
USA Swimming said it would conduct an independent investigation of the race.
The UAE death certificate cited heat exhaustion and drowning as the cause of death, according to the newspaper.
"I'm distraught over the loss of my son, but this can't be a meaningless situation," Crippen's father Pete told USA Today. "Fina needs to understand what happened and not brush this off as some freak incident, which it wasn't," said Jennings.
"They need to make changes. They signed off on this race ... there are a lot of questions I want to ask."
azacharias@thenational.ae
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Costa Rica 0
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Kolarov (56')
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When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
