The Cal 200 medley relay has been disqualified as a result of an early takeoff on the second exchange, which is a game-changer for the meet. Barring any kind of a matching DQ for Georgia, that should just about give the Georgia Bulldogs their second-straight NCAA Championship on the women’s side.
Specifically, after a lengthy video review, Cal was DQ’ed on the exchange between Celina Li finishing the breaststroke leg and Cindy Tran starting the butterfly leg. The pad showed -.05, and official review apparently did nothing to change that ruling.
They touched in 1:36.51, which would have put them as the 5th seed and ahead of Georgia going into finals. There was enough of a cushion that even a bad start would’ve put them into the top 8.
If there’s a silver lining to this, Cal didn’t use Missy Franklin on this relay, so they still have her available for the two relays left with a chance to score. The foursome was Rachel Bootsma, Celina Li, Cindy Tran, and Kaylin Bing.
Officials were inspecting at least one other race in an earlier heat, but ultimately decided not to issue a second DQ, which is corroborated by no other negative reaction times on the official results.
Can someone explain why it is good Missy wash’t on this relay?
Because they don’t “waste” one of her relay swims on a DQ. She can swim on the two relays that are left.
Because a 500 prelims/finals-200 prelims/finals-100 prelims/finals-800 free relay-200 free relay-400 free relay-400 medley relay meet schedule in your first NCAAs is pretty demanding? Even for someone as good as her? Maybe not quite Biesel-like in the individual events, but that’s an awful lot to put on her plate.
The UGA girls are doing this for their leader…Jack!
Here we go with the DQ comments again. I don’t understand the weird comments like Cal doesn’t “deserve the benefit of the doubt now.” Like, they must be doing it on purpose? They are less of a team?
UGA, A&M, Auburn, USC (x2), etc. have all DQ’d a relay at an NCAA Championships. Relay DQ’s happen at the highest level every year and they will continue until the end of time.
I’m not saying it wasn’t a very bad mistake, particularly after Pac 12’s also, but I haven’t forgotten how Kevin Cordes was excoriated last summer. It’s unfair and unnecessary.
To be fair, this entire article is about the Cal DQ, so not sure what else you expected the comments to be about.
Well, I see a huge difference between a DQ that comes during a championship final, and one that comes in prelims.
Cal’s trying to win a national title here, and of all the things it can’t do, DQing a relay in prelims has to be at the top of the list. Yes, DQs happen all the time in relays — if you’re pushing to win a national title in a relay, and it’s closely contested, I can understand it. I’ve seen it happen at all levels of swimming. If you’re some mid-major trying to score points in the meet, and scrapping your way to a top-16 place in prelims — sure, I can see it happening.
But you (meaning, coaches… Read more »
Not sure what’s going on with Cal, but their performance through three sessions is pretty disappointing as a teaml. It seems like there are very few PB’s, and this relay DQ just finished them off. I’d guess they’ll barely finish 2nd or 3rd overall. I’m pretty surprised by a Teri McKeever team looking so “off”.
I am a Cal fan too! BUT I don’t see how they can pull this off now — Georgia is too deep and so far they haven’t made any mistakes!
The Georgia coaches are right now telling their relay swimmers to play it safe tonight (or they should) – you score big points even if you are 5th or 6th and no points in a final with a DQ – championships are all about math!!
geez. i’m a cal fan #1 but to do this after pac-12 dq they just don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt to win this champs.
wtf…
Ya there really is no excuse for false starting. It isn’t ‘false start or have a slow exchange’ either; between .1-.2(up to .3 for 8FR) on a very consistent basis should be practiced and expected. Bummer, and has clearly set the tone for the first few events of the morning for the Bears. Georgia rolling now, as they were likely to do anyways.
The last thing the coach should say before a relay to his/her relay team is “BE CAREFUL AND CONCENTRATE” – better to have a 0.4 reaction and get to come back at night, than to be cute!!
It amazes me that you would have DQs at this level – they must practice relay exchanges all through their taper with swimmers they are familiar with!!
One would think so. OTOH Marina Garcia was likely the primary breaststroker they had been practicing with all season long…
Very surprised Mckeever didn’t bring Yvette Kong along as a relay-only swimmer (they had room), and elected to use Li instead this morning when she had to compete in the 400 IM shortly following the relay.
Adrenaline, man. Not excusing it, but it’s not like relay DQs are unheard of at elite levels. (The American men’s medley relay at World’s last year, for instance.)
The line between perfect (-0.03) and DQ (-0.05, in this case) is thin and treacherous. Any time you try for the perfect exchange, there’s a chance it could be too perfect. Like Steve mentioned, men’s medley last year was -0.04… 0.01 from being perfect (and, just like this case, perfect wasn’t necessary).