OSLO, Norway — Alexander Dale Oen, a world champion swimmer who was one of Norway's top medal hopes for the London Olympics, has died during training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz. He was 26.
Federation President Per Rune Eknes said Dale Oen died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
In a statement, the federation said the 100-meter breaststroke world champion was found collapsed on the floor of his bathroom late Monday. He was taken to the Flagstaff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
"We're all in shock," Norway Coach Petter Loevberg said. "This is an out-of-the-body experience for the whole team over here. Our thoughts primarily go to his family who have lost Alexander way too early."
Hospital spokeswoman Starla Collins confirmed the death, but did not provide further details.
Dale Oen won the 100 breaststroke at the worlds in Shanghai last July and took silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Norwegian Swimming Federation President Per Rune Eknes said he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Oen's last tweet on Monday, as he was coming to the end of training in the US, said "2 days left of our camp up here in Flagstaff, then its back to the most beautiful city in Norway #Bergen".
Oen won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and was considered a strong hope for this summer's London Games.
His gold medal in Shanghai came shortly after Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 people in Oslo and the island of Utoeya and at the time he described the events at home as a motivation for him. "We can't let this guy ruin the future for us," he said.
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