It was a drama-filled morning at one swimming event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
English star Luke Greenbank appeared to secure his spot in the semifinals for the 200m backstroke after eclipsing German Lukas Maertens in the fourth heat.
However, joy turned to heartbreak when he touched the final wall.
A video replay revealed that the 26-year-old was underwater beyond the 15m mark at the start, which is prohibited and he was disqualified once the result was confirmed on replay.
“And it wasn’t just a little bit, it was a significant amount past (the mark),” Australian legend Ian Thorpe said on the Nine broadcast.
“That is well past that mark. There is no need for that in a 200m. Perhaps in a 50m race you might take the chance, but in a 200m there is no benefit.”
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Greenbank’s hopes of winning a medal were crushed as he collapsed to his knees.
“I don’t know what to say, absolutely gutted,” Greenbank, who won bronze in the same event at the Tokyo Games, told reporters afterward. “It’s really annoying, I feel like I’m in good form.”
That was not the only controversy around the event.
Chinese swimmer Xu Jiayu, who was the No. 6 seed with an entry time of 1:55.37, was also a no-show in the men’s 200m backstroke semifinals.
Jiayu previously earned silver at the Paris Games in the 100m backstroke with a time of 52.32.
Although Jiayu wasn’t among the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in 2021, his absence in heat two, lane five raised eyebrows.
Multiple outlets reported that the Chinese team has been underwhelming this time, and Jiayu had one of the team’s best outings thus far in the 100m backstroke.
Rival swimmers have questioned why Chinese swimmers who had tested positive in 2021 were allowed to compete again.
As reported by Swim Swam, he had to “speak with results,” due to the lingering doubt and controversy surrounding his squad.
