2015 World Champs Finalist Kanako Watanabe DQ’d in 100 Breast Prelims

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

Japan‘s Kanako Watanabe was disqualified during the women’s 100 breaststroke prelims.

Watanabe, who finished 4th at the 2015 World Championships in this event (only a hundredth away from bronze), is out of the race and has only the 200 breast left to focus on.

Though she wasn’t expected to be a medal contender in this race, as she’s much stronger in the 200, Watanabe swam a 1:06.43 last summer. That time, had she swum it this morning and not been DQ‘d, would have put her in the top 8 after prelims.

Japan‘s hopes in this race are not lost, though, as Satomi Suzuki swam a 1:06.99 this morning and will compete in tonight’s semifinals for a spot in the final tomorrow night.

It’s unclear as of the time of this publication why Watanabe was disqualified this morning, though breaststroke DQ‘s typically have to do with extra dolphin kicks during pullouts.

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M__T
7 years ago

Apparently the DQ was overturned. She swam in the first semifinal that night.

NTIN SWIMMER
7 years ago

Pedersen had obvious dolphin kick at the start today

M__T
7 years ago

I saw they DQed her, but based on what I can see in the US TV feed, I see nothing wrong with her start, either touch or either pullout (single dolphin, pull, kick, head up in first stroke). That left me wondering whether it might be pushing off on the turn more on the back than the breast. She would have just barely made the semis.

SLab
7 years ago

the brazilians did the same last night and didn’t get DQ …

PVSFree
Reply to  SLab
7 years ago

It’s all about if the officials above the water can see it

coacherik
Reply to  PVSFree
7 years ago

More like if they’re competent..

Swimmom
7 years ago

She probably was DQd for not using meldonium

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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