Minutes later, wide-eyed and surrounded by cheers, the 14-year-old girl who has severe autism and epilepsy had secured the bronze medal in the 10-meter assisted swim. It was the first of several events she was scheduled to compete in at Friday's Special Olympics Utah Fall Sports Classic at the University of Utah. But as her parents subsequently found out, it would be her last.

"I'm heartbroken," said the girl's mother, Tilly Garcia. "We've worked so hard, and this is her sport."

The problem all came down to a diaper, the dry one Garcia hurriedly ripped off her daughter just before they hopped in the pool. She had meant to get rid of the diaper, worn simply to protect Ariel Marie from possible embarrassment, in the locker room, but the race was imminent. Garcia got distracted, so she yanked it off poolside.

Soon there were whispers among officials and discussions about Health Department policies. By the time John "JD" Donnelly, chief executive of Special Olympics Utah, approached, race day for Ariel Marie was over.

"This is a public pool. I wish I could tell you otherwise," he said to the distraught parents. If he were to let Ariel Marie swim again, he said he would "open up Special Olympics to a lawsuit. I will not permit it from this point on."

At issue were Health Department requirements at public pools put in place Aug. 28 to prevent a statewide outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, an infection that leads to long-lasting diarrhea and is caused by a parasite that can live in normal levels of chlorinated water. Utah has reported about 30 cases annually but saw a spike this year to more than 1,800 incidents. As a result, summer swimming for many kids still in diapers instantly dried up.

Donnelly, who said he was briefed about the regulations Friday morning, said no matter how difficult it was to break this news to athletes and their families, he had no choice but to trust and follow the advice of Health Department experts. He said many families who knew about the restrictions kept their athletes home, and of the 200 who showed Friday, 15 were taken out of competition. It was the first time in his 18 years with Special Olympics that health code issues affected the games, he added.

The CEO's rationale, however, did little to make the Garcias feel better. They pointed out that their daughter swims every week at Salt Lake City's Fairmont Aquatic Center. Last month at a Special Olympics regional competition in Kearns, she secured gold.

The girl's mother estimated half of the athletes milling about the U.'s pool relied on diapers from time to time.

Ariel Marie's father, Adon "Bernie" Garcia, called the ban on athletes including his daughter cruel.

"We try to give her every opportunity we can," he said. "That's why we're so insistent."

When Ariel Marie was born, doctors predicted she would survive one day, a week max. Her mother said she prayed with everything she had. Today, she calls Ariel Marie a "miracle." The girl's father uses the word "angel."

There's something about the water that makes their daughter come alive, they said.

When Ariel Marie started competing five years ago, her mother said she would lure the girl through the water by dangling a plastic baggie of Cheerios in front of her face. Ariel Marie can't yet swim freestyle, or free of assistance, but with time and continued coaching, her parents know she will.

The story of what happened earlier Friday made Charla Haley's heart sink.

"It's so very sad," said Haley, a spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Health.

Broader health concerns, however, must trump compassion, she said. It's the only way to ensure Utah won't experience a cryptosporidiosis outbreak like the one in 1993 that affected more than 400,000 in Wisconsin, she continued. So while restrictions are being re-evaluated regularly, she said living with them is "just where we are right now."

The Garcias eventually accepted the ruling and prepared to leave. All the while, Ariel Marie sat on a bench along the pool's wall, admiring her single bronze medal, occasionally squealing with glee, unfazed by the controversy that swirled around her.

Beyond the diaper debacle, it turned out there were also concerns that she had been robbed of the appropriate medal. An athlete in her one race of the day had been disqualified, for swimming both in an assisted and freestyle event.

A Special Olympics official kneeled down and placed an additional medal, this one a silver, around the girl's neck. Her mother looked on and smiled, accepting the consolation.

"They gave her two after all," she said. ''But I'd rather she earned it.''

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* JESSICA RAVITZcan be reached at jravitz@sltrib.com or 801-257-8776.

* As of Thursday, the Utah Department of Health and local health departments lifted the requirement to hyperchlorinate public pools.

* Swimming remains restricted for anyone, regardless of age, who wears a diaper and for anyone who has not been diarrhea-free for two weeks.