Alex Meyer is an American open water swimmer who represented the U.S. at the 2012 London Olympics and won gold in the 25-kilometer race at the 2010 world championships. Outside of competition, he has also been a strong advocate in calls for reform in the sport after the 2010 death of close friend and teammate of Fran Crippen. Meyer helped search for Crippen the day he drowned after suffering from heat exhaustion during that competition in the United Arab Emirates.
Now, with the World Cup returning to the UAE on Friday, Meyer weighs in to ESPN.com about his concerns surrounding the race and why further safety measures are needed moving forward.