2021 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, December 16th – Tuesday, December 21st
- Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- SCM (25m)
- Prize Money
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
After an unprecedented number of swimmers were disqualified in breaststroke events during the opening session of the 2021 Short Course World Championships, another major DQ took place in the women’s 50 breast semis in Abu Dhabi.
Top preliminary seed and world record holder Alia Atkinson was disqualified in the semis of the women’s 50 breast, bringing the total number of disqualified swimmers up to 14 on Thursday (with the men’s 100 breast semis still to come).
Atkinson was notably DQed out of Lane 4, where nearly half of the prelim disqualifications came from. Out of the 13 DQs from the heats, six were in Lane 4.
However, all of the disqualifications were apparently called by underwater cameras and not one specific judge in one specific lane.
Atkinson was reportedly disqualified for a downward dolphin kick prior to the finish, which is also what Arianna Castiglioni and Tang Qianting were DQed for in the prelims. If Tang hadn’t been DQed, which would’ve been tied with Atkinson for the top seed out of the heats in 29.55.
Atkinson, who touched first in the second semi and was well on her way to qualifying for the final, was the defending champion in the event, having won gold in 2018 in Hangzhou, China.
The Jamaican has actually won a medal in the women’s 50 breast at four straight SC World Championships dating back to 2012, but will have the streak come to an unceremonious end here, barring the DQ being overturned.
The 33-year-old first set the world record in the women’s 50 breaststroke in October of 2016, clocking 28.64, and then lowered that mark down to 28.56 in October 2018—both done on the FINA World Cup circuit.
SwimSwam has reached out to FINA regarding what is causing the unusually high number of breaststroke DQs.
With Atkinson out of the mix, Russia’s Nika Godun qualified first for the final in 29.42.
Yep. That’s a violation.
Using technology to see what swimmers are doing is finally there. Won’t matter for those who do the stroke right, but it will eliminate those who are pushing the envelope and are not “legal” in their stroke. The look at her face, she’s totally surprised. Might not have realized she was doing it…
I thought video review was only to be used to overturn a DQ or call y an official and not to initiate it?
Can initiate. Started in Tokyo.
It’s good to see it finally be used for Judging cause this will reduce the amount of people sneaking in a double dolphin kick on the pullout however I think they should have at least announced that they were going to use underwater footage for officiating since they haven’t done this before
Probably right ! but swimmer education starts earlier. Lots of swimmer don’t realise that swimming rules need to be followed, even if they change…. and I’ve heard swimmer knowing what they are doing and what for…. 2 quicks under water – Butterfly kick after breaststroke kick….
It doesn’t come up till the strategic moment… but it’s too late !
At FINA world cup level, we can not say that referees have a lack of consistency….
Now I definitely think there’s something going on with that lane! Really disappointing.
Lack of consistency from officials is mind boggling…
Read! Underwater camera! Who is viewing to make this call?