It was a drama-filled morning for one of the swimming events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
British star Luke Greenbank looked to have booked a place in the semi-finals of the 200m backstroke after outpacing Germany’s Lucas Martens in the fourth heat.
But the moment I touched the last wall, my joy turned to sadness.
Video replays revealed that the 26-year-old was in the water beyond the 15-metre mark at the start, which is prohibited, and he was disqualified after replays confirmed the result.
“It wasn’t just a little bit over, it was way over,” Australian legend Ian Thorpe said on Nine.
“That’s way above that standard. You don’t need that in the 200m. You might have a chance in a 50m race, but in the 200m there’s no advantage.”
2024 Paris Olympics
Greenbank’s medal hopes were dashed when he collapsed to his knees.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m really disappointed,” said Greenbank, who won bronze in the same event at the Tokyo Olympics. He later spoke to reporters. “It’s really frustrating. I think I’m doing fine.”
That wasn’t the only controversy surrounding the event.
Chinese swimmer Xu Jiayu, who was seeded sixth with a time of 1 minute 55.37 seconds, also did not compete in the men’s 200-meter backstroke semifinals.
Jiayu previously won a silver medal in the 100m backstroke at the Paris Games with a time of 52.32 seconds.
Jiayu was not among the 23 Chinese swimmers who have tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in 2021, but his absence in lane five of the second heat drew attention.
Although multiple media outlets reported that the Chinese team performed disappointingly this time, Jiayu achieved her best result to date in the 100-meter backstroke.
Rivals have questioned why Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021 were allowed to compete again.
Reports say Swim, swimBut the lingering doubts and controversy surrounding the team have forced him to “let the results speak.”
