400 Medley Relay DQ, 2013 Worlds – Complete Race Footage

Men’s 4×100 medley relay, Team USA disqualified (DQ), complete race footage is courtesy of SwimSwam partner Universal Sports Network. 

Swimswam / Jeff Grace coverage of the men’s 4×100 medley relay at the 2013 FINA World Championships:

Before the event began it looked as though the American relay that consisted of Matt Grevers,Kevin Cordes, Ryan Lochte and Nathan Adrian would be a lock to win. Throughout the race and at the finish it looked like they had done what was expected of them, but that wasn’t the case, as officials disqualified the team due Cordes leaving early on a relay exchange.

After the race Adrian spoke to the press as reported by ESPN explaining that the mistake is a team mistake and that it shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of one individual, “A relay disqualification is not a particular individual’s fault,” said Nathan Adrian “It’s Team USA’s fault and it falls on all of our shoulders.”

“If us four ever step up again, we’re never going to have a disqualification, that’s for sure,” said Adrian. “It will really motivate him. I don’t doubt if in the next couple years we’re going to have the fastest breaststroker in the world swimming for Team USA. This could be a catalyst for that.”

With the Americans’ disqualified France took the gold. The team of Camille Lacourt, Giacomo Perez-Dortona, Jeremy Stravius and Fabien Gilot had a back and forth race with the Australians.

The team consisting of Ashley Delaney, Christian Sprenger, Tommaso D’Orsongna and James Magnussen were behind the French by 24 one-hundredths of a second going into the final 100 meters. Even with Magnussen, the 100 freestyle world champion, anchoring the relay they could not make up the difference losing to the French by 13 one-hundredths of a second.

France won the gold in a time of 3:31.51 followed by Australia who finished in a time of 3:31.64.

The Japanese team consisting of Ryosuke Irie, Kosuke Kitajima, Takuro Fujii and Shinri Shiohura finished third in a time of 3:32.26.

The Russians finished fourth in a time of 3:32.74, the Germans finished fifth in a time of 3:33.97, the Italians finished sixth in a time of 3:34.06 just ahead of Hungary that finished in  seventh in a time of 3:34.09.