2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES/SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – SWIMMING
- July 4th-9th, 2019
- Napoli, Italy
- LCM (50m)
- Live Stream: Olympic Channel (in US), Rai Sport (in Italy)
- Entry Lists & Live Results
After the confusing and controversial start to the women’s 400 IM final on Thursday resulted in Britain’s Abbie Wood, the #2 seed, stuck on the blocks while the rest of the field raced for gold, FISU has made the results of the race official, as swum.
Final Results:
- Makayla Sargent, USA, 4:37.95
- Evie Pfeifer, USA, 4:40.16
- Ilaria Cusinato, ITA, 4:40.18
Britain protested the results on the basis that Wood said she couldn’t hear the “take your mark” command from the starter. The competitors weren’t stopped because Wood took a start-ready position before the command was given, so the starter had no indication that she wasn’t ready for the race. An attempt was made to recall the swimmers, unsuccessfully, and the race was allowed to continue.
While the results are now official, the medal ceremony isn’t planned until Saturday, to give some time for the dust to settle.
The swim by the 21-year old Sargent is her lifetime best by more than 2 seconds. The Americans now have a 7-Universiade streak of winning at least gold or silver in this event, dating back to 2007.
It’s a shame that Wood didn’t hear the start, But let’s not overlook “The swim by the 21-year old Sargent is her lifetime best by more than 2 seconds.” 4:37.95! Pretty awesome swim in international competition. Congrats on both the PR and Win!
Back in the day, there used to be a rope. About 10 yards down the pool. They’d drop it across the lanes if there was a bad start/false start – you’d swim into it and stop. Swim back. Climb out. They’d do the start again (cause you could false start once – and we did, often – to get wet or to psych people out). With a starter pistol. And occasionally, someone would miss the rope and keep swimming. And a coach or another swimmer would jump into your lane to stop you.
We were barbarians.
This still happens to this day at the meets I go too.
The problem here is that the starter recalled the race. The swimmers should have been stopped at the 50 (at the very least) and the event re-started. If that was not possible, then the final should have been re-swum at a later time. Isn’t that how things are normally done?
I’m sort of with you DLSwim – it was improper for him to try and recall the race, but once he did…that should’ve been that.
Streak for Sargent dating back to 2007? How old is she, and how long do they allow an athlete to stay as a university student?
streak is for U.S. as a team, not her personally
She’s 33. As long as she takes a couple credits a semester at DeVry, she can continue to defend her 12-year old 400IM title. Crazy world we live in.
Japan swimmer also complained that she had not heard the starter and had a very hesitant start. Recall buzzer pressed by the starter to Indicate a false start but there was no mechanism to stop the swimmers Surely result is void. Crazy from starter to try and start race when team mates still chanting.
Yes I saw that the Japanese swimmer had a very late start.
They should have taken the timed final option. No way were you going to have the seven other girls swim another 400 IM when you have the entire meet left
It’s a shame for the girl involved but you can’t force everybody else to reswim in this situation
I don’t think the timed final should have been offered but not to take it? I don’t get why anyone wouldn’t.
Wood might have other races that she wants to focus on and just move on after the intense emotional rollercoaster of this event for her.
True. I suppose if it was me I would chalk it up as bad day at the office and concentrate on my other races. It wouldn’t feel right to win via a time trail (not saying she would have but in the event that she did it would be really awkward).
BTW – Congrats to Makayla Sargent – that’s a very good swim.
Because British Swimming are clusterf**k kings.
They are blue bloods who have to have everything THEIR way…what a joke the limey brigade can be. Good thing USA kicked their tails in the late 18th century or we would be talking weird too!
After GB declined the timed final option this is the best move.
Selfish and childish to decline another shot to swim the event when it was their (GB’s) swimmers own fault.
The race was recalled for a reason, so presumably the starter felt it was an unfair start. Don’t think it’s fair to blame the swimmer on that front, but totally right to blame British Swimming for cutting off their nose to spite their face.
Tough situation for all involved, but ultimately I can’t see how any other decision was viable. Didn’t realise the race was originally recalled, that’ll be what made the situation so tricky. Time to focus on the 200IM for Wood now, and congrats to the medallists – Can’t have been easy to sleep last night!