2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
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Honey Osrin got away with one in the semi-finals of the women’s 200 backstroke.
Racing in her first Olympic evening session, the 21-year-old Brit clearly surfaced past the 15-meter mark off the start in the second semi, but was not disqualified and ended up advancing through to Friday’s final.
World Aquatics Competition Regulations SW 6.3
Backstroke:
Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race. It is permissible for the swimmer to be completely sub-merged during the turn, and for a distance of not more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have broken the surface.
How did Lane 3 not get DQ’d here? #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/rSgxqqizNL
— Phil Murray (@DrSwim_Phil) August 1, 2024
World Aquatics also has “video judgement equipment” being used at the Olympics and World Championships.
World Aquatics Competition Regulations 16.3.9:
16.3.9 Video Judging Equipment At Olympic Games and World Championships approved Automatic Officiating Equipment, including Video Judging Equipment shall be provided and used. The approved Video Judging Equipment shall be used to initiate stroke infraction calls, confirm stroke infraction calls or assist the Referee to overturn calls made on the pool deck.
Another British backstroker, Luke Greenbank, was disqualified in the heats of the men’s 200 back for going past the 15-meter mark on Wednesday.
Osrin touched 2nd in the heat behind defending champion Kaylee McKeown, producing a time of 2:07.84 to advance 3rd overall into the final behind American Phoebe Bacon (2:07.32) and McKeown (2:07.57).
Osrin’s time marked a new lifetime best, lowering the 2:08.37 marker she established at the British Championships in April, which earned her a spot on the Olympic team.
If Osrin were to have been disqualified, France’s Emma Terebo (2:09.38) would’ve been bumped into the final as the 9th-place finisher.
Paris marks the first major international competition Osrin has competed in since the 2019 World Junior Championships, where she placed 10th in the 200 back and 15th in the 100 back.
At the 2021 British Olympic Trials, she was 3rd in the 200 back (2:11.76) and 7th in the 100 back (1:01.64). At the Trials in April, she was 4th in the 100 back in a new PB of 1:01.16 in addition to her 200 back victory.
I don’t often criticize officials because I know how tough their job is, but c’mon, that wasn’t even close and needs to be called. I think her feet were past the 15m mark before she surfaced.
She went so far past 15m that the officials weren’t even paying attention any more. Genius.
I wonder if the French team protests and if that would do anything. Ridiculous to have something that blatant caught by the cameras and to not then go back and retroactively DQ her.
Yeah, there have been a few this week that I thought were close calls, but that was way beyond the mark.
Regan was close off the start in her opening round heat. But it was definitely okay. Her head came up smack in the middle of the red.
Gretchen Walsh had one that made me wonder, I think on the relay, but it might have been the angle, too.
Can they not disqualify her in hindsight? Certainly the officials have gotten wind of this and are discussing it?
Conspiracy theory: they aren’t disqualifying her as an apology for disqualifying Greenbank.
Major fail by the judges here, like what is going on
I’m still confused how an Olympic level athlete goes almost 2m past the 15m mark, did they not do warmup starts/ practice kick counts?
Taper and a tech suit both impact how much distance you get per kick. It’s possible that she did her practice start kick count and just blew past 15.
I suspect the shallow pools are causing swimmers to use less aggressive approach angles since they are diving more shallow, so they aren’t shallow enough when they normally break out, so they’re adding a kick or two. I’ve had this issue in shallow pools myself.
Some athletes have been getting really close to the cameras
Wowsa, I’ve not seen one that blatant not called.