Norway's world swimming champion Alexander Dale Oen has died in the US after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The Norwegian Swimming Federation confirmed the 26-year-old's death after he was found collapsed in a shower late on Monday afternoon.

Dale Oen had been training in Flagstaff, Arizona, according to the Norwegian media. Emergency services arrived on the scene within minutes but were unable to revive him.

Norwegian Swimming Federation President Per Rune Eknes then confirmed Dale Oen had suffered a cardiac arrest.

At the 2008 Olympics, Dale Oen won silver in in Beijing and was set to appear at the London 2012 Games.

In July 2011, Dale Oen won gold medal in the 100m breast-stroke at the Fina World Championships in Shanghai, using the recent events of Anders Behring Breivik's killing spree as extra motivation.

Breivik murdered 77 people in Oslo and the island of Utoeya, and Dale Oen said: "We can't let this guy ruin the future for us," he said.

In football, several footballers have died after having a cardiac arrest.

Motherwell midfielder Phil O'Donnell and Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque both died via cardiac arrests, while Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba survived one in March.

The Bolton midfielder's heart stopped working independently for 78 minutes, but he recovered and was discharged from hospital 31 days later.

However on-loan Livorno player Piermario Marosini succumbed almost a month following Muamba's collapse during an FA Cup game, after his heart failed to contract effectively during a Serie B match in Italy.