Norway’s world swimming champion Alexander Dale Oen, has died suddenly in the US, aged 26, the country’s swimming federation says.
In July 2011, Dale Oen won gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the Fina World Championships in Shanghai.
He was found collapsed in a shower late on Monday after training in Flagstaff, Arizona, Norwegian media say. Friends said he had appeared healthy earlier.
Emergency services arrived within minutes but were unable to revive him.
Norwegian Swimming Federation President Per Rune Eknes said he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Doctors at the Flagstaff Medical Center declared the world champion swimmer dead at 2100 local time on Monday after all efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Per Rune Eknes told national broadcaster NRK that it was blackest day in the history of Norwegian swimming.
“We are all in shock… our thoughts go first and foremost to Alexander’s family who have lost him so prematurely,” was the reaction of Norwegian Coach Petter Loevberg.
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