Philadelphia church to host funeral for Crippen

Dubai : The funeral rites for the late Francis Crippen will be held at the St. Matthews Roman Catholic Church in Conshohocken, Philadelphia, today.

Following a posting on the official website of USA Swimming, the viewing of Crippen's body will be open from 8.30am after which it will be transferred to the Calvery Cemetery for mass and burial.

Championship Director Ayman Saad confirmed that Crippen's body was repatriated on Wednesday after completion of all paperwork and formalities here in the UAE.

Meanwhile, the Crippen family, who has been deeply touched by the tremendous support and desire to honour Fran, has already established the Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation.

The Foundation will support the people and the places that touched Crippen's life. The Crippen family will outline the specific beneficiaries of the Foundation in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, USA Swimming will go ahead with a full, independent investigation into the tragic death of the open water swimmer in Fujairah.

Independent probe

This investigation will be conducted independently of the Fina investigation that created a special task force to delve into the case late on Thursday.

The Fina Executive Committee decreed in Lausanne on Thursday that the special task force will consist of highly-reputed international experts, including an expert from a recognised International Life Saving organisation, an expert in cardiology and sports medicine, two experts appointed by US Aquatics/USA Swimming and an expert in Fina laws.