Lilly King’s 200 Breast DQ Upheld After Lengthy Protest and Appeal Process

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
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• Competition Schedule
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• Results

American breaststroke star Lilly King was disqualified in the third heat of the 200 breast Thursday morning in Gwangju, and more than eight hours later, after going through the protest and appeal process, the ruling will officially stand.

UPDATE: Lilly King’s disqualification for a non-simultaneous touch is still under review.

— USA Swimming News (@USASwimmingNews) July 25, 2019

King won her prelims 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 when she asked after her race.

USA Swimming also did not know what it was for until about 30 minutes after the race, when it was told that King did a “non-simultaneous touch” on her first turn.

• Click here to watch video of the turn in question.

As of 45 minutes after the race, the results were officially “under review,” and USA Swimming lodged an official appeal shortly thereafter. Video replay is in use at this meet to review DQs if necessary. It can only to overturn calls on swimmers who were DQ’d by an official on deck, not to make a DQ, and is done immediately upon relay of the official’s call: in some cases, even before the race is over.

According to a spokesperson for USA Swimming, that protest was denied. In this situation, per the FINA rulebook, a Team USA leader could appeal to the Jury of Appeal, which was done, and the case was heard before the night session Thursday.

Here’s the process for appeal, from summarized from FINA’s general rules: the appeal goes to the entire FINA Bureau. The 20-person technical committee makes a recommendation, and any Americans on the committee can speak but not vote; that means FINA VP Dale Neuburger and Technical Committee Chair Carol Zaleski cannot vote. The jury’s decision is final.

• Click here to read a more detailed version of the process. 

The process was invoked in 2009 when United States open water swimmer Fran Crippen‘s finish approach in the 10k led to a disqualification and subsequent protest. That protest went to the Jury of Appeal and ultimately got the DQ overturned, awarding him the bronze medal.

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 morning.