2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- Competition Schedule
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
- Results
American breaststroke star Lilly King was disqualified in the third heat of the 200 breast Thursday morning in Gwangju.
USA Swimming says they are still trying to figure out what the disqualification was for; note that video replay is in use at this meet to review DQs if necessary.
King won the heat, then turned at the scoreboard and reacted with shock upon seeing the DQ. According to the Italian broadcast, she walked to the officials’ table to protest, and was turned away. King was apparently not given a reason for her DQ as of shortly after her race, according to Rick Maese of the Washington Post.
Big surprise here at FINA world championships: Lilly King was DQ’d in preliminary heat of 200m breast after reaching wall first. Asked what happened, she said: “They didn’t tell me.” King won gold in 100m breast earlier this week
— Rick Maese (@RickMaese) July 25, 2019
King held the No. 3 time in the world heading into the meet, at 2:21.39 from May. The 22-year-old raced to a world title in the 100 breast, in which she is the world record holder and defending Olympic champion, Tuesday. American Micah Sumrall will represent the United States in the second semifinal after going 2:25.17 Thursday.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available about King’s DQ.
Update (10:35 p.m. EST): USA Swimming was reportedly told that King was DQ’d for a non-simultaneous touch on the first turn.
USA Swimming was told Lilly King was DQ’d for a non-simultaneous touch on the first turn of her 200m breaststroke heat. They have 30min window to protest, which means they’d have to formally lodge that complaint soon
— Rick Maese (@RickMaese) July 25, 2019
Here’s a look at the turn in question:
Lilly King disqualified for this turn, what they are calling a non-simultaneous touch #FINAGwangju2019 @swimswamnews pic.twitter.com/wZ8QM5x9iz
— James Sutherland (@jimmy_hug3) July 25, 2019
The screen grab below was taken when King (lane 4) appeared to first touch the wall, from the view of the broadcast:
Update (10:45 p.m. EST): USA Swimming says the results “are under review.”
Update (10:57 p.m. EST): USA Swimming has reportedly submitted an official appeal.
https://twitter.com/bykaren/status/1154224043303682054?s=20
From the video, the touch looked legit to me.
it sorta looks like she doesn’t touch on the same plane..maybe that’s what they mean? idk..
She clearly dipped her shoulder before touching the wall. In yards, it’s allowed, but in meters, you can’t do that. Your shoulders have to remain horizontal until the touch. In breaststroke, there are all kinds of tiny technical infractions and the rules change constantly. Still, this is a rule that’s been around for decades.
There’s no such rule. https://www.fina.org/sites/default/files/2017_2021_swimming_16032018.pdf
The rule doesn’t state the touch has to be in the same plane. The rule is two hands, separated, simultaneously at, above or below the water. Professional swimmers do a sweep touch. They brush the wall with the fingertips of one hand and the palm of the other hand then throw their elbow and turn. If the fingertips (extended outward) touch before the palm (hand flexed upward), it’s non-simultaneous. Look for her touch in the 2016 Olympics and you’ll see it clearly.
Hey, is it me, or could swimming use a little more drama at its big events? This meet has just become a total snoozefest, am I right?
Off of that distant, shaky, camera recording a screen….kinda looks like both hands made it?
Seems like every time I read the comments section I like people less.
Well it looks like this is how FINA plans to silence the athletes. Job well done. Now you are truly a corrupt organization from top to bottom. Kudos to you.
That’s a streeeeetttch. Americans are running the video review. You’d have to get a whole lot of people to collude silently to make this happen, and the more people you have to have collude silently, the less likely it is to be true.
Two questions. When was the last time King was called for this infraction? And when did she last have a winning lottery ticket number?
I’m not sure I understand either of your questions. Don’t know the answer to them.
Sarcasm. Learn it, love it, live it. Because neither has occurred in recent memory.
NO COLLUSION!!
I watched the video and I couldn’t tell. Happened too fast for me. Hopefully the officials have a better shot to review.
A shame – she says she’s been training for this race in particular and I was looking forward to seeing what she could do.
Clearer footage on Kristy Kowal’s twitter looks inconclusive to me. Her left arm is in and out very quickly it’s hard to tell if it did touch. FINA will have all the angles though so hopefully they come to the right call.